Young Women of Promise complete beautification project for Burnett Residence Hall

^{Gathered at the newly installed hammock posts in the courtyard of Carson-Newman University’s Burnett Residence Hall are, from left to right, Young Women of Promise Campus Advisor Katie Ragan, students Rachel Robeson, Amanda Bennett, Lauren Baucum, Mandy Caldwell, Shelby Smith and Michelle Sharp, and Co-Liaison Becky Ford.}

(May 8, 2018) JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. — A small group of Carson-Newman University students are working together to turn the campus into an even more beautiful, comfortable place for students to pass their days.

Young Women of Promise spent more than a year fundraising for their latest project, the beautification of the Burnett Residence Hall courtyard.

Six students participated in the project, raising enough funds to clean up the landscaping, add a picnic table and provide several hammock posts to create an area ideal for lounging, studying and relaxation. Those students include:

• President Lauren Baucum, a biology student from Greenville, South Carolina,
• Vice President and Projects Coordinator Amanda Bennett, a political science student from Gray,
• Fundraising Chair and Treasurer Mandy Caldwell, a biology student from Eagle Rock, Virginia,
• Membership Chair Rachel Robeson, an accounting student from Safety Harbor, Florida,
• Service Projects Chair Michelle Sharp, a nursing student from Fletcher, North Carolina, and
• Secretary Shelby Smith, an elementary education student from LaFollette.

“Before, it was just a dark, unused space with just a dumpster hanging out in the background,” Baucum said. “It wasn’t somewhere people wanted to be. We fundraised for two or three semesters and were able to get hammock posts funded and put in by maintenance and a picnic table put in back here. It’s a beautiful space that everyone can use now.“

Seeing students on Snapchat enjoying the space is “the greatest thing,” she said.
Other beautification projects by the group have included the swing on Henderson Lawn and the lights over the patio of Maples Cafe.

The philanthropic organization is the student branch of C-N’s Women of Vision and shares their goals of beautification and service. Meeting twice per month, the students have completed service projects for Samaritan’s House, Operation Christmas Child and others.

“Getting involved is really simple,” Baucum said.

There are no membership dues and any interested female C-N student is eligible to join. Those who attend three meetings are considered a member.

Following graduation, members have the opportunity to join Women of Vision, which serves as a mentor organization to Young Women of Promise.

For more information about either organization, contact Katie Ragan at 685-471-3245 or kragan@cn.edu.

Founded in 1851, Carson-Newman is a Christian liberal arts university located in Jefferson City, Tennessee, among the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains. The University has over 2,500 students and offers 50 undergraduate majors, as well as associate, bachelor’s, master’s and doctorate degrees.