MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — Four nontraditional students at Middle Tennessee State University got a boost to their education as recipients of the 2025 June S. Anderson Scholarship.

Scholarships are funded through the private June S. Anderson Foundation. Recipients for the 2025-26 academic year are Sydnee Sommers of Nashville; Courtney Potts of Columbia; Jacqueline “Jackie” Kannady of Clarksville; and Esther Benyi, a native of Ghana who now lives in La Vergne.

The foundation annually awards full-tuition scholarships to students age 25 and older who are preparing for careers in fields that are nontraditional for women.

In addition to the scholarships, the foundation presented the Outstanding Mentor for Women award to Maigan Wipfli, who heads up the First-Year and Nontraditional Student Engagement in the Center for Student Involvement and Leadership at MTSU.

“It was such an honor to be recognized for my work with nontraditional students,” Wipfli said. “June Anderson fought for our students no matter who they were, and I would like to think I’ve helped students in the same way at some point in my career.”

That late June S. Anderson, for whom the foundation is named, taught chemistry at MTSU from 1958 to 1983. She established the foundation in 1982 to provide scholarships to students in areas of study where women were underrepresented.

Over the last 43 years, the foundation has awarded $520,000 to 128 recipients, according to Andrienne Friedli, foundation president.

Scholarship winners

Courtney Potts, a criminal justice major, is a 28-year-old single mom of two who juggles working full time and serving as a court advocate for a domestic violence center — all while maintaining a 4.0 average.

After graduating MTSU, Potts plans to attend law school and hopes to work as an in-house attorney for a domestic violence and sexual assault center.

“My experiences as both a survivor and an advocate for other survivors have shaped my passion for this field, and I want to use my education to make a real difference,” Potts said. “This scholarship helps ease the financial stress of school and allows me to stay focused. It also feels like encouragement to keep pushing forward.”

Jackie Kannady, a 30-year-old mother of two, wasn’t sure she’d be able to complete her criminal justice degree due to financial constraints. Winning the scholarship was a “dream come true,” Kannady said.

“It means the world to me and made by entire world better,” said Kannady, who is set to graduate in December. “This scholarship gave me purpose to finish my bachelor’s degree.”

With her grandmother as inspiration for tenacity, Kannady hopes to help others through a career as a special victims detective or case worker for the Department of Children’s Services.

Esther Benyi, a 23-year-old senior aviation management major, immigrated to the United States from Ghana six years ago. Navigating a new culture while pursuing a college degree has been challenging.

At MTSU, Benyi found a community where she felt “supported, valued and able to grow” while pursuing her dreams. That firm foundation fueled her plans for a long-term career in aviation.

“Despite these obstacles, I have remained steadfast in my commitment to excel academically,” Benyi said. “This recognition motivates me to keep striving for my dreams and reassures me that my hard work is paying off.”

Sydnee Sommers, a 29-year-old self-avowed “California-raised surfer,” juggles three jobs while pursuing an animal science degree with a focus on her dream job working within the beef cattle industry.

The scholarship has paved a pathway for Sommers to continue her education at MTSU.

“This scholarship doesn’t just mean the June Anderson Foundation board supports the 36% of female producers in agriculture. It means they support the 2% of the population that feeds us. They support the next generation of American farmers, and I’m humbled to be a part of that legacy,” Sommers said.

About the foundation

In addition to the scholarship foundation, June Anderson founded Concerned Faculty and Administrative Women in 1975 as an academic support service for women and established the Women’s Information Service for Education in 1977. Anderson died in 1984.

She also founded Women in Higher Education in Tennessee, participated in the university’s Rape Alert program, conducted women’s studies classes and championed pay equity, child care centers and expanding campus safety lighting.

— Nancy DeGennaro (nancy.degennaro@mtsu.edu)