LOUISVILLE and BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — Sacred Heart Academy senior Taylor Edlin already planned to attend Middle Tennessee State University after receiving a scholarship to be a member of the women’s golf team by coach Chris Adams.

Edlin’s role as a future Blue Raider, biology student and member of the Class of 2023 became solidified Thursday (Oct. 11) when MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee awarded her a Presidential Scholarship during the annual True Blue Tour visit to the Louisville Marriott East.

MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee, left, smiles as he and Linda Olsen unveil a Presidential Scholarship going to Taylor Edlin of Sacred Heart Academy in Louisville, Ky., during the True Blue Tour event Oct. 11 at the Louisville Marriott East. (MTSU photo by Randy Weiler)

On the tour, MTSU travels across Tennessee, then to Kentucky, Georgia and Alabama, recruiting prospective students for 2019 and beyond. It visits 14 cities altogether, finishing the tour in early November.

McPhee and the university combined three scholarships into one, creating the new Presidential award for qualifying students with a 25 to 29 ACT score and 3.5 or higher GPA, and completing the application process by Dec. 1. To apply, visit www.mtsu.edu/applynow.

MTSU still offers a Trustees Scholarship for qualified students with a 30 to 36 ACT score and 3.5-plus GPA.

Rachelle Douglas, center, a mother and high school teacher in the Jefferson County, Ky., public school system, poses questions to MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee, left, as her son, Dallas Douglas, 17, a Louisville Male senior, listens Oct. 11 during the MTSU True Blue Tour visit in Louisville. (MTSU photo by Randy Weiler)

“We want to recruit students like Taylor,” McPhee said of the randomly selected student athlete, who placed fifth recently in the Kentucky high school state tournament while leading Sacred Heart to a second-place team finish.

“I never thought this would happen,” said Edlin, who was joined by her father, Marc Edlin, at the event. “I was really honored to be picked.”

Molly Bebelaar, 17, a South Oldham High senior from Crestwood, outside of Louisville, received a $1,000 scholarship from MTSU in a drawing. She and Taylor Edlin are best friends and she, too, is a future MTSU golfer.

JackMedley, 17, a Christian Academy of Louisville junior, received a $2,000 scholarship from McPhee, who twice added $500 bonuses when Medley continued to praise MTSU and its campus.

Going the distance at Bowling Green

Garett Todd and his grandmother, Linda Nordine, drove more than two hours from near Benton, Kentucky, to Bowling Green because he’s hooked on MTSU’s recording industry program.

About 12 people, all from Danville, Kentucky, and students from Boyle County High School also attended MTSU’s True Blue Tour recruiting event at the Sloan Conference Center. Chloe Rafferty and her mother, Shannon Rafferty, drove from Owensboro and she walked out with a $2,500 scholarship from her No. 1 college choice.

MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee, left, answers questions from prospective student Taylor Sharp, right, as her mother, Christie Sharp, listens Oct. 10 during the True Blue Tour visit to Bowling Green. (MTSU photo by Randy Weiler)

At least one currently university student, Maliyah Beckwith, took in the MTSU visit and now wants to visit MTSU. She is considering transferring “because they have a pretty good aerospace program and I’m also into biology.”

At both Louisville and Bowling Green, McPhee and administrator Peter Cunningham shared about the Regional Scholars Program and Academic Common Market.

The university’s Regional Scholars Program allows select non-Tennessee resident students who live in states bordering Tennessee and meet specific academic requirements to attend MTSU at a greatly reduced rate and qualify for the Freshman Academic Merit Scholarships.

Qualifying students receive a reduced tuition rate roughly half of the standard out-of-state rate. Students participating in the Academic CommonMarket program may receive even lower rates.

For Kentucky residents, MTSU programs in the Academic Common Market include aerospace’s unmanned aircraft systems, concrete industry management, animation and three recording industry concentrations: audio production, commercial songwritingand music business.

To learn more about the Regional Scholars Program, visit

http://www.mtsu.edu/financial-aid/scholarships/regional-scholars.php. To learn about the Academic Common Market, visit https://www.mtsu.edu/acm/.

The next MTSU Fall Preview Day will be Saturday, Nov. 3. Visit www.mtsu.edu/rsvp

to register. There’s also a special Saturday visit day on Oct. 20. Guided campus tours are available daily. Schedule a tour at www.mtsu.edu/tours.

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