A bright idea, sparked by gratitude

On Wednesday, February 11, the USN community gathered at the River Campus to flip a switch and celebrate a full circle moment.


By Ian Dinkins, Assistant Director of Marketing and Communications

The new state-of-the-art lighting system that now illuminates University School of Nashville's River Campus athletic fields began not with a facilities plan, but with a phone call.

Last year, alumnus Bob Doochin ’58 reached out to Director of Development Anne Westfall with a simple and powerful message. He wanted to do something significant for the school that had meant so much to him. A proud graduate of USN when it was Peabody Demonstration School (PDS), Doochin had been a student athlete and basketball player. His hope was to make a gift that would strengthen athletics and support today’s students in a meaningful way.

What followed were thoughtful conversations between Doochin, Westfall, and Athletic Director Josh Scouten about how philanthropy could make the greatest impact for our athletic program. Among several ideas, one quickly rose to the top – lighting the River Campus playing fields.

The addition of field lighting would be transformative. It would allow greater flexibility in scheduling practices and games, reduce cancellations due to early darkness, and create new opportunities for middle school and high school teams to share game nights under the lights. Quite simply, it would be a game-changer for USN athletics.

Recognizing the scope of the project, Westfall partnered with another generous family, Jessica and Reagan Farr, to secure the additional support needed to bring the vision fully to life. What began as one alumnus’s desire to give back became a collective investment in the future of USN athletics.

“USN has an incredible opportunity to invest in our student-athletes across our K–12 community, and the River Campus is a game-changing asset full of possibility. With new lights extending practice time and expanding programming and event opportunities, the future is bright. We were grateful to partner with the Doochin family and USN to help move this endeavor forward,” Jessica and Reagan said. 

For Doochin, the project represents gratitude and continuity.

“PDS/USN is a great school, past, present, and future,” Doochin shared. “I wished to repay an institution from which I received so very much. The facilities at the USN River Campus indicate our commitment to athletics. I was thrilled when the lights came on.”

When the switch was flipped, the moment symbolized more than a facilities upgrade. It reflected alumni loyalty, meaningful partnership, and the opportunity philanthropy provides to shape the daily lives of students.

Now, as teams take the field under the glow of the new lights, they do so because one alumnus picked up the phone and a community came together to turn generosity into something lasting.
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Edgehill Campus
2000 Edgehill Ave.
Nashville, TN 37212

Phone:  615-321-8000
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1200 County Hospital Road
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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.