MTSU celebrates major scholarship recipients, Honors College prospects

Lucas De Freitas’s love for animation as a youngster has turned into passion for a career, and the senior from Houston High School in Germantown, Tennessee, knows Middle Tennessee State University’s program in the Department of Media Arts is among the nation’s best.

Cannon County High School senior Marlee McNutt has decided aerospace maintenance management is her route to a successful livelihood.

Middle Tennessee State University President Sidney A. McPhee tells the crowd of 125 major scholarship recipients for the 2024-25 academic year that MTSU is the place that’s made for them to spend their next four years Monday, Feb. 19, during the annual President’s Celebration of Scholars in the Student Union Ballroom. “We want to make sure you compete at the highest level,” he said. (MTSU photo by Andy Heidt)

Both came to MTSU Monday, Feb. 20, for different reasons: McNutt to learn more about the University Honors Collegeand De Freitas to meet other future Honors College Buchanan Scholars at a breakfast event and later attend MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee’s Celebration of Scholars.

With most public schools out for Presidents’ Day, MTSU celebrates its major scholarship recipients with an afternoon reception in the Student Union Ballroom and the Honors College, with assistance from the Admissions Office, hosting about 200 high school prospects and their parents gathering information about the college committed to scholarly and creative activity.

Middle Tennessee State University President Sidney A. McPhee visits with 2024-25 major scholarship recipients and their parents Monday, Feb. 19, during the annual President’s Celebration of Scholars in the Student Union Ballroom. He later congratulated them for their “excellent academic achievements” and that MTSU is the place made for them. MTSU welcomed 125 high school students who have received scholarships. (MTSU photo by Andy Heidt)

Dr. Sidney A. McPhee, MTSU president — Dr. Sidney A. McPhee

“We want to congratulate each of you for your excellent academic achievements,” McPhee said to the approximately 125 students invited to the President’s Celebration of Scholars. “We want to make sure you compete at the highest level. … The people — faculty, administration and staff — and quality programs make MTSU. This is the place that’s made for you. You don’t need to look at any other place.”

Correctly answering McPhee’s questions, Dave Dryden, 19, of Smyrna, Tennessee, a Stewarts Creek High School senior, and Jackson Thomas, 17, of Spring Hill, Tennessee, a Summit High School senior, received on-the-spot $5,000 and $2,500 scholarships, respectively. Dryden plans to study audio production and Thomas theatre education. Dryden’s father, Matt Dryden, is an MTSU Concrete Industry Management alumnus.

MTSU offers guaranteed scholarships to qualifying incoming freshmen who meet the Dec. 1 application deadline: Centennial Scholar, National Merit and Trustee, Presidential and True Blue scholarships.

For students who missed the Dec. 1 deadline, MTSU offers Century, Lightning, Blue Raider and Future Alumni scholarships that are guaranteed, but require an Aug. 1 deadline.

Scholarship recipients have a May 1 deadline to accept the offer.

Freshmen and transfer students admitted for fall 2024 will be able to register for CUSTOMS student orientation in late March.

Middle Tennessee State University College of Media and Entertainment Dean Beverly Keel, left, answers questions from a future student who has been awarded a major scholarship from the university. The exchange occurred Monday, Feb. 19, at the conclusion of the President’s Celebration of Scholars, held in the Student Union Ballroom. (MTSU photo by Andy Heidt)

Future Blue Raiders

Born in Chicago, Illinois, and now living in Germantown, Tennessee, De Freitas, 18, attending with his mother, Lucia De Freitas, a Brazil native, “came to show I’m interested in the Honors College and receiving the Buchanan Fellowship (top scholarship awarded at MTSU).”

Lucas De Freitas, Germantown, Tenn., Houston High School — Lucas De Freitas

De Freitas attended the 2023 Tennessee Governor’s School for the Arts at MTSU, where he “found filmmaking challenging, working as a group. We produced two short films and one main project. MTSU is a great campus and great school. Governor’s School was a well-structured experience.”

Lucia De Freitas said her other son, Mateus De Freitas , 14, a high school freshman, plans to attend MTSU and study aerospace engineering.

Marlee McNutt, Cannon County High School senior — Marlee McNutt

A standout soccer and cross-country athlete at Cannon County, Marlee McNutt’s future pursuit of the MTSU aerospace program is because “there’s a need for maintenance crews at airports, so I should not have much trouble finding a job,” she said.

From Woodbury, Tennessee, McNutt, 18, who has a 3.9 GPA and scored 25 on the ACT, toured the MTSU Flight Operations Center in 2023, “where they showed us flight simulators and we got to sit in Diamond airplanes.”

University Honors College academic advisor Judy Albakry, right, and a prospective student share a laugh during the annual Honors Open House academic browsing session Monday, Feb. 19, in the Student Union first-floor atrium. Nearly 200 prospective students and their parents attended the event. (MTSU photo by Andy Heidt)

Advisors from various Middle Tennessee State University colleges answer questions posed by visitors attending the annual University Honors College Open House Monday, Feb. 19, in the Student Union Building’s first-floor atrium. Prospective students and their parents from across Tennessee and the region came to learn more about the Honors College. (MTSU photo by Andy Heidt)

Huge day for Honors College

For Dean John Vile and his Honors College staff, it marked a major day to receive both the newest Buchanan class (only 20 are accepted for the award funded by the late James M. Buchanan, MTSU alumnus and 1986 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economics recipient) and court future prospects.

“At the open house, many students and parents asked great questions, they toured our building and other parts of campus and heard firsthand about recording industry, forensics, aerospace and more,” Vile said. “We aim for diversity with the students selected for our Buchanan awards and every college was represented.”

— Randy Weiler (Randy.Weiler@mtsu.edu)