NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Single mom Chantell Warfield wasn’t sure if she would have enough energy after a day’s work to take her son, Brandyn Warfield, to Middle Tennessee State University’s True Blue Tour student recruitment event held Wednesday, Sept. 18, at the Nashville Zoo.

But she said something in her spirit told her, “Just go.”

“I’m so glad we did,” Chantell Warfield said, with tears in her eyes. Her son, a senior at Academy for God in Nashville who is interested in MTSU’s renowned Professional Pilot Program, walked away with a $1,000 scholarship.

Led by MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee, Provost Mark Byrnes and college deans, this was the first time the tour made a stop at the Nashville Zoo. The annual 13-city tour gives prospective high school and transfer students a time and place for them to engage with staff and learn more about why MTSU has been ranked among the top higher education institutions by The Princeton Review and Wall Street Journal.

“And we are one of the few universities that take the university to our prospective students and their parents and provide information and introduce you to the university and its incredible faculty and staff who are responsible for delivering one of the highest quality educations that you will be exposed to,” McPhee told the hundreds gathered at the venue.

Classmates Sara Hasbi and Zainab Ismael, both seniors at Valor Collegiate Prep in Nashville, are both interested in MTSU’s sonography program, which is part of the university’s allied health technologies degree.

Students who want to train in sonography, like ultrasound, get their perquisites done at MTSU and then apply for a training program elsewhere. After the training is done, they get a degree from MTSU.

The diverse culture on campus is also another draw for the Valor Collegiate classmates. MTSU’s Office of International Affairs has more than 100 partnerships with higher learning institutions across the world, so students have the potential to study abroad with scholarships available. The campus also welcomes students from 73 countries, McPhee told the crowd.

“I don’t know how to explain it, but I feel like it’s a place that is comforting,” Ismael said. “And I feel like it’s a place that I can blend into.”

Being close to home at a place that is familiar for his family is a draw for Benjamin Gibbs, a senior at Hillsboro High School in Nashville who is interested in the Real Estate Studies program in the Jones College of Business.

Mother Sharon Gibbs, alumna of the business administration program at MTSU, is happy her son will be so close to home at “a great school in a great community.”

“We have some of the best faculty and staff to provide the highest quality education right here in the state, and we’re going to take care of each of you,” McPhee said. “It’s one of the reasons we have grown, and we have attracted the best and the brightest in our state and the surrounding areas.”

Makenzie Cotton, a senior at James Lawson High School, and her sister Alexius Cotton, who is currently attending Nashville State Community College, both plan to attend MTSU in the fall.

Three years ago, Makenzie Cotton was part of the True Blue 100 cohort — high school freshmen from across the state who are identified as outstanding students — and is excited to return.

Alexius Cotton will be a transfer student next fall and plans to be a teacher.

“I told my advisor about this (event) and she told me to definitely come to MTSU because you have a good education program,” Alexius Cotton said. “I’m dyslexic so I want to be a special education teacher.”

Within the College of Education is the Tennessee Center for the Study and Treatment of Dyslexia, which supports educators and the community at large through a variety of services.

Not only does MTSU offer over 300-plus undergraduate and graduate programs and majors, but there are numerous scholarships offered.

Tony Strode, undergraduate recruitment director, shared about the Dec. 1 deadline to apply in order to obtain guaranteed scholarships if they meet the requirements, scholarship information and more. Students can apply at mtsu.edu/apply. The $25 application fee is waived now through 11:59 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 22.

Strode also shared information about MTSU’s True Blue Preview campus visit days on Saturday, Sept. 28, and Nov. 2. Spring 2025 True Blue Preview visit days will be Feb. 8 and March 22. On Feb. 22, MTSU will host a new Admitted Student Day, which gives future Blue Raiders a time to meet with advisors and faculty to get a head start on orientation to learn about academic programs.

To register, go to https://www.mtsu.edu/rsvp.

Upcoming True Blue Tour stops

The tour includes a total of 13 stops across Tennessee, Georgia and Alabama.

The next two True Blue Tour stops will take place at the following locations:

• Monday, Sept. 23 — Wilma Rudolph Event Center, 8 Champions Way, Clarksville.

• Wednesday, Sept. 25 — Franklin Marriott Cool Springs, 700 Cool Springs Blvd., Franklin,

Attendees are encouraged to RSVP for any future stop at mtsu.edu/rsvp, though walkups to the event are also welcome. 

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