“Service is tithing with your time, talent, and treasure,” Tiffany Reed, IUPUI alumna and former Sam H. Jones scholar, states. “Service is also understanding that it’s our responsibility to give back.”
During Reed’s time at IUPUI, the Sam H. Jones scholarship provided her with volunteer opportunities, service learning courses, leadership trainings, a network of faculty, community leaders, and service-minded students.
Reed’s experience as a Sam H. Jones scholar was different than some of her peers as she was a first-generation college student. She felt inherent pressure in this role, and she states, “I was not going to school for me, I was going for my entire family.”
The Sam H. Jones scholarship made sure Reed had gas, food, books, and other items she needed to succeed. The scholarship also gave her the opportunity to make connections both on campus and outside of her community.
Throughout the scholarship program, Reed tutored students in math at George Washington Community High School near the IUPUI campus. After learning about a need for a cheerleading coach at George Washington, Reed stepped into the role. She coached junior varsity and varsity while also soliciting donations for their cheerleading program. She believes that “service is more than what you do inside the classroom; it’s about what you do outside of the classroom.”
