Janie McCamey Larkin Endowed Scholarship for Working Adults established at Tusculum University

The Janie McCamey Larkin Endowed Scholarship for Working Adults has been established at Tusculum University by Mary Cansler Jones, a friend and former coworker of Larkin. Larkin earned a bachelor degree in Business Administration from Tusculum University in 1986, 22 years after she entered into the workforce. She was able to advance her career from a clerical position to become an accountant at Magnavox thanks to the degree.

According to an article on Tusculum University’s website, Jones said of her decision to endow a scholarship in memory of her late friend, “My goal was to help someone with a vision of a better life who needed the extra funds to attain a bachelor’s degree. Janie’s story is what this is all about. She was always looking for ways to help others. I often said she could find a way to help you even when you didn’t even realize you needed help. I felt creating this scholarship is something Janie would have approved and is a way to carry on her legacy.”

Larkin, who had initially started a degree program at another university in 1961 but did not complete it, entered into the first cohort of Tusculum University’s TALL (Tusculum Adult Leaders Learning) program. The program was a predecessor of the current adult online undergraduate program that helps working adults obtain degrees.

Jones said, “The TALL program gave Janie the opportunity to apply the advice she had given to others by completing a degree she had started earlier in her life. She recognized that if she graduated with her bachelor’s that it would open doors for her and enhance her life.”

After earning her bachelor degree, Larkin worked for Magnavox until the plant closed in 1997. She then retired, later serving as treasurer for Opportunity House in Greeneville and for her church. Despite being finished with education and her career, Larkin served as a beacon of encouragement for others to follow their dreams. She passed away in 2015.

The Janie McCamey Larkin Endowed Scholarship for Working Adults will be awarded to an individual who supports themself and has been working full-time for at least five years and does not have a bachelor degree. The scholarship will be awarded with preference for individuals from Greene County, and second preference to individuals from the East Tennessee area. In the case of a tie of two qualified students, the award will go to a first-generation college student.

Zack Kassebaum, the university’s vice president of enrollment management and financial aid, said, “When it comes to scholarships, nontraditional higher education is often overlooked. It is exciting to have an opportunity to provide extra financial assistance to hard-working nontraditional, undergraduate students through the Jamie McCarney Larkin Scholarship. This is a great example of the pioneering spirit cultivated at Tusculum. Circumstances in people’s lives can result in their putting pursuit of that degree on the back burner, but they keep that burner on. It is never too late to go to college and earn a bachelor’s degree. The thoughtfulness of Mary and the wonderful example left by Janie is going to transform many people’s lives. We are grateful to be a conduit for busy working adults, delivering a high-quality, convenient and affordable bachelor’s degree from Tusculum University.”

Tiffany Greer, the vice president of institutional advancement, said, “True giving is not about recognition or praise. It is about quietly making a difference in the lives of others. Janie was the kind of selfless leader who worked behind the scenes, cared deeply about people and gave of herself without seeking recognition. Mary has honored that legacy in such a meaningful way by creating this scholarship. Together, their generosity demonstrates the extraordinary power of giving – how one caring heart can open doors, change lives and create opportunities for generations to come. Every gift, regardless of size, can help carry Janie’s spirit of caring forward and make a lasting difference in the life of someone who is working toward finding their purpose with education.”

For more information about Tusculum University, visit the school’s website.