Thanks to Textbook Brokers, qualified students in the Jennings A. Jones College of Business at Middle Tennessee State University can get a financial boost toward fulfilling their dream of becoming an entrepreneur.

Senior John Stewart, an entrepreneurship major from Charlotte, North Carolina, recently received the very first Textbook Brokers Endowed Scholarship in Entrepreneurship in the amount of $1,000. The new scholarship will be given annually.

Jones College of Business Dean David Urban, far right, speaks to MTSU alumni and Textbook Brokers staff at the bookstore’s Greenland Drive location during its recent announcement of the creation of a new endowed scholarship available to Jones College students majoring or minoring in entrepreneurship. (MTSU photo by Andy Heidt)

Stewart plans to pay toward his tuition with the award, which he officially received during the E.W. “Wink” Midgett Reception and Awards ceremony held April 20. Stewart is on schedule to graduate in December, after which he hopes to receive a position with a company to further his knowledge of how to grow a business firsthand.

“Currently I am building a business, but school is taking precedence and growth is progressing more slowly than it otherwise might,” Stewart said, adding that he’d eventually own his own business, or multiple businesses, and is feeling more prepared now that he has some financial assistance.

“This scholarship was the best kind of surprise, and I am very grateful for the opportunity,” he said.

Textbook Brokers decided to partner with the Jones College to develop a scholarship specifically for those who have declared a major or minor in the entrepreneurship program at the university, according to Carolyn Tumbleson, development director for Jones College.

Robert Batcheller, partner at Textbook Brokers, explained that Textbook Brokers began serving MTSU in 2005 on Greenland Drive and views the new scholarship as another tangible way to give back.

“Since we are an entrepreneurial organization, we found it a good fit,” Batcheller said.

All of the campuses that Textbook Brokers serve in Middle Tennessee are managed by MTSU graduates, he noted.

Eligibility requirements for the scholarship include declaring a major or minor in the entrepreneurship program. The preferred candidate will have already received at least 60 hours of academic credit, but candidates with less than 60 hours will be considered if they have proven to have a strong desire for entrepreneurship.

For more information about Textbook Brokers, visit https://mtsu.textbookbrokers.com. For more information about the Jones College of Business, visit www.mtsu.edu/business.

— Jayla Jackson (news@mtsu.edu)

Textbook Brokers on Greenland Drive recently announced the creation of a new entrepreneurship scholarship available to students in the Jennings A. Jones College of Business at MTSU. Pictured, from left to right, are Bill McDowell, holder of the Pam Wright Chair of Entrepreneurship; MTSU alumni and Textbook Brokers staffers J.P. Cowden (Class of 2012), Michael Moghadam (’06), Melissa Carrington (’08), Luke Barber (’09), Madison Vaden (’11), Brad Warnock (’07), Kelsey Crumbaugh (’15), Andrew Ward (’12), Michael Waggoner (’14), Caleb Tyler (’09), Chad Wilkins (’11) and Nick Sherrod (’11); and Jones College of Business Dean David Urban. (MTSU photo by Andy Heidt)