NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – Tennessee State University is using a $20,000 donation from Tractor Supply Company to help fulfill the needs of students, particularly during the pandemic.
The funds will be used by TSU’s College of Agriculture to help “students in need of financial support,” says Dr. Chandra Reddy, the college’s dean.
“We are very excited and are very thankful to Tractor Supply Company for this support,” says Reddy. “We have so many needs in the college, but our biggest need is providing support to outstanding students that are in dire need of funding. This investment in our students by Tractor Supply company will go a long way in preparing future agricultural leaders in the country.”
TSU senior Braxton Simpson of Atlanta is majoring in agricultural business. She says she’s glad the funding will be used to help students with financial hardships, especially during the coronavirus pandemic.
“It allows students to stay focused and not worry about paying for school,” says Braxton. “We’re very grateful for the donation.”
Jamie Isabel with advancement and university relations at TSU says the contribution is the “impetus of a major relationship that we are currently working on” with Tractor Supply.
“Our students, graduates will be very pleased to have Tractor Supply as a corporate partner,” says Isabel. “The contribution is indicative of the support that TSU is receiving from corporate America.”
Over the last several months, TSU has worked diligently to ensure students have the tools they need to complete their coursework as a result of COVID-19.
In March, TSU students had to transition to remote learning because of the coronavirus. The University purchased laptops and tablets for those students who needed them. TSU recently resumed classes for the fall, but has an alternate plan that includes students continuing to learn remotely if there’s a surge in COVID-19 cases.
TSU junior Emmanuel Wallace of Memphis, Tennessee, is an agriculture major concentrating on food and animal sciences with a pre-vet focus. He says he’s pleased with the University’s effort to help students, and is grateful for the contribution from Tractor Supply.
“As a whole, TSU is doing everything it can,” says Wallace. “This (donation) is very helpful, especially during the pandemic.”
To learn more about the College of Agriculture, visit https://www.tnstate.edu/agriculture/.
For more on TSU operations affected by the coronavirus, and student information, visit https://www.tnstate.edu/covid19.
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Founded in 1912, Tennessee State University is Nashville’s only public university, and is a premier, historically black university and land-grant institution offering 39 bachelor’s degree programs, 24 master’s degree programs, and seven doctoral degrees. TSU is a comprehensive research intensive institution with a R-2 Carnegie designation, and has a graduate school on its downtown Avon Williams Campus, along with the Otis Floyd Nursery Research Center in McMinnville, Tennessee. With a commitment to excellence, Tennessee State University provides students with a quality education in a nurturing and innovative environment that prepares them as alumni to be global leaders in every facet of society. Visit the University online at tnstate.edu.
