Class of 2013
Betty and Jack Blackburn Jefferson Scholar
Etowah, Tennessee
“As a student from Eastern Tennessee, the Jefferson Scholarship and U.Va. were a perfect fit for me. I wanted to attend a top university but at the same time, I wanted an environment that fostered the growth of the entire person– not just academics….I felt that the community at U.Va. would help me grow not just as a scholar, but more importantly as a citizen and leader.
“As far as the scholarship itself is concerned, I would simply say that there is not another program like it in America. It concentrates the most outstanding students in the country into a strong community that not only supports and enriches one’s college experience, but also provides one with an incredible network after graduation. For example, when contemplating whether to take the Jefferson Scholarship or accept my admission into Harvard, Yale, or Princeton, I was contacted by a former Jefferson Scholar who at that time was clerking on the Supreme Court, a job I would love to hold, and he had several of the Justices write me personal notes congratulating me and wishing me luck at U.Va. Needless to say, this was about all of the convincing I needed.
“I could also talk about the international travel, the easy access to professors, and the amazing feeling of not having to take out student loans, but fundamentally the Jefferson Scholarship’s greatest asset is that it will connect you in a very special and intimate way with some of the most amazing scholars and leaders that you will ever meet. So while all the perks of money, travel, and prestige are outstanding, the reason I chose to be a Jefferson Scholar was because of the other students in the program. This value can never fully be quantified or placed as a bullet point in a presentation, but once you discover the beauty of the people within the Jefferson Scholars program, you will have no trouble deciding that this is the most amazing college opportunity you can find.”
As a second year, Joe is contemplating double majoring in Foreign Affairs and Economics. He spends his extracurricular time as a class council representative and a student council representative for the College of Arts and Sciences. He is also heavily involved in the Army ROTC program.
