Some of the most enduring moments in a Maryville College experience aren’t found in transcripts or résumés — they live instead in late-night conversations, chance encounters, unforgettable professors, and the quiet, personal milestones that shape a life.
Now, a new initiative is working to capture those moments and preserve them for generations to come.
“The Scots Storytelling Project provides a portal for collecting and finding these stories, and ultimately, finding connection with each other. As part of the 150th anniversary, this is the time to reflect on our experiences as students and alumni, and to collect those stories so they’re documented for future generations to learn from, connect with, and join in with their own reminiscence,” said Jennifer Phillips Triplett ’07, director of Alumni Affairs and one of the leaders of the initiative.
Launched as part of the Maryville College Alumni Association’s 150th anniversary celebration, the Scots Storytelling Project invites students, alumni and members of the campus community to share their MC stories through a new online platform designed to collect, organize and celebrate the lived experiences that define College Hill.
The project allows users to submit written stories, photos, and other media, which can then be browsed and filtered by category, class year, and theme. Early collections have already begun to take shape, including a series of alumni love stories shared around Valentine’s Day.
And then there are those stories that stem from those embarrassing situations, madcap adventures and unusual individuals that make for some of the most memorable tales, constantly retold in friend groups and social circles whenever the Scots who took part in them get back together.
“While College is certainly a serious business with plenty of hard work and accolades to collect, the parts that, in retrospect, bring the most joy are the smaller moments: the inside jokes from a night with friends, the shock and awe of a candid (or cursing) professor, or shared study time in Thaw,” Triplett added.
Looking ahead, organizers hope to expand the project to include stories preserved in the College’s Archives, connecting present-day submissions with voices from the past.
The Scots Storytelling Project is now live and accepting submissions. While the initiative is still in the early stages, the goal, Triplett added, is to collect enough stories that events can be planned
For more information or to submit a story, visit https://alumni.maryvillecollege.edu/page/scots-storytelling-project.
Maryville College is a nationally ranked institution of higher learning and one of America’s oldest colleges, located in Maryville, Tennessee, between the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the city of Knoxville. Maryville College offers more than 60 majors, seven pre-professional programs and career preparation from their first day on campus to their last, in the words of our Presbyterian founder, to “do good on the largest possible scale.”
Karen Eldridge, Executive Director of Communications: karen.eldridge@maryvillecollege.edu.
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