MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — Middle Tennessee State University students helped build a spacious home for a family of seven in need at this year’s recent Rutherford County Habitat for Humanity panel build in the Student Union Commons.

In only five hours, MTSU students and Exit Realty volunteers built all the walls that were then transported by semitrailer and will eventually be put together to finish the single-family home. 

“Our partnership formed back in 2005 with the thought of building a house on campus,” said Jackie Victory, Office of Student Organizations and Service director. “Over the years that partnership has grown and adapted to the ever changing needs of our students and vision of the Rutherford County Habitat for Humanity.”

“This year we had around 80 students assist with building the walls of a home,” Victory added. “Our students worked alongside the future homeowner in living out their True Blue Pledge.”

Dianna Rust, university studies professor, took her honors students to the Thursday, Oct. 3, panel build because her class “has civic engagement as a learning outcome so participating in the Habitat panel build was one way my students could be civically engaged,” she said.

The work of MTSU students and Exit Realty contributes towards a greater solution of housing a Murfreesboro family. Kelly is the mother who will receive the home once it’s completed. She’s a single mother of six children, and they were living in a three bedroom, one bathroom apartment infested with mold, according to the Rutherford County Area Habitat for Humanity.

Rust, who met Kelly and one of her children, said “meeting the family that is going to live in the house is always a highlight.”

Habitat’s homeownership program provides safe, affordable housing to qualifying residents, and includes homebuyer education courses on topics like budgeting and home maintenance while also requiring the future homeowner to fulfill partnership hours at a Habitat construction site or at its ReStore.

Kelly applied for a Habitat house a few years back but wasn’t selected. When Kelly received news that she was accepted this year, she cried tears of joy. Kelly is currently a medical assistant and plans to continue her education to become a registered nurse once the house is completed, according to the local Habitat.

The walls from the MTSU panel build went directly to the Legacy Pointe site on 1248 Twin Oak Drive and the house will be finished this fall-winter for them to move into in early 2025.

Rust has several highlights from this year’s panel build, one of which was seeing her former 2019 University Seminar student Davis Dunlap, who is now working with Habitat for Humanity, she said. Dunlap is a 2023 MTSU construction management alumnus.

Another highlight she noted was seeing “how thoroughly engaged my students were with the build and with writing positive affirmations on the panel walls.”

Rust, who has volunteered with the nonprofit both on and off-campus, also personally believes in Habitat for Humanity’s mission statement, which states, “Seeking to put God’s love into action, Habitat for Humanity brings people together to build homes, communities and hope.”

The Office of Student Organizations and Service and the Center for Student Involvement and Leadership sponsored the event alongside Exit Realty Bob Lamb and Associates.

To donate to Kelly and her future home, click here. The fundraiser is currently halfway to its goal of $20,000.

— Maddy Williams (Maddy.Williams@mtsu.edu)