University of Virginia selected Margot Ross '24 to be a Jefferson Scholar. The highly selective scholarship includes the full cost of attending UVA for four years of study as well as numerous enrichment opportunities. It has been 16 years since a University School of Nashville senior last became a Jefferson Scholar.
By Aaron Fulk, Director of College Counseling
Among the many heralded merit scholarships at universities around the country, the Jefferson Scholarship at the University of Virginia is perhaps the most difficult scholarship to earn (along with the Morehead Cain Scholarship at the University of North Carolina).
Students must be nominated by a high school, and each high school can only nominate up to two candidates. Even being nominated is an honor, let alone winning one of these scholarships. Last year, the Jefferson Scholarship received 2,300 nominations and enrolled approximately 40 Jefferson Scholars.
The Jefferson Foundation honoring Margot Ross '24 with a full cost of attendance (tuition, room, and board) scholarship is an affirmation of her dedication to her passions and service to University School of Nashville, including serving as Co-Editor of The Peabody Press and a leader of the Mock Trial team headed to the national competition. Margot also authored a free Mock Trial textbook targeted at public schools as a free resource after she witnessed a disparity in resources among schools during previous Mock Trial competitions. Margot also writes extensively including a play.
Margot is USN's first Jefferson Scholar recipient since 2008.
Artclectic Patrons Party early-bird tickets are $125 each and can be purchased here through Thursday, October 1. The price increases to $150 per person on Friday, October 2. For more than 30 years, Artclectic has been one of Nashville's premier juried art shows, welcoming nationally recognized artists and visitors from across the city to USN's Sperling Gym turned art gallery. The weekend features exceptional artwork, artist demonstrations, student experiences, family activities, and special events that celebrate creativity, with proceeds benefiting USN.
USN Evening Classes, our one-night classes that benefit our need-based scholarship endowment, were recently featured on the City Cast Nashville podcast. Visit usneveningclasses.org to view the fall catalog.
The Helen Meador Summer International Fellowship funded a summer of professional development in South America for Lower School Naturalist Carrie Riley. Through this profound experience, she said she plans to bring these lessons into her teaching, grounding her voice in wonder, joy, and a commitment to protecting the natural world, which she loves.
Tiger golfers have officially qualified for the region tournament, and our other teams are not far behind. Volleyball sits near the top of the district, finishing up regular season play next week with Senior Night. Girls soccer continues to hold first place in the district after another 9-0 win, and our cross country runners are chasing after some school records. To round it all out, our mountain bike team traveled to Oakfield to continue to improve on their times for the season. There’s plenty more where that came from- so be sure to come out to the River Campus, Sperling Gym, or out on the road to cheer on our Tigers before their seasons end.
Middle School volleyball and tennis teams are nearing the final games of their seasons, with the competition heating up while the Tigers play to determine their HVAC rankings. Cross country was finally able to race at the River Campus despite the heat, and our mountain biking team traveled to Oakfield, Tennessee, for a high-temperature race weekend.
The MTB team returned to the the twisty trails of tranquil Oakfield, TN on Sept 13th to take part in the second race of the season, as part of the 5-race series hosted by the NICA/TICL League.
USN Mission: University School of Nashville models the best educational practices. In an environment that represents the cultural and ethnic composition of Metropolitan Nashville, USN fosters each student’s intellectual, artistic, and athletic potential, valuing and inspiring integrity, creative expression, a love of learning, and the pursuit of excellence.