Tanner Thompson, from Monticello, Kentucky, triple majored in accounting, finance and management. That means that while he was a student, Tanner was usually reading, studying or attending classes. However, on game day, Tanner transformed into the fun-loving, cheerleading mascot known as Scratch.
As one of the University of Kentucky’s mascots, Tanner received a scholarship that helped cover his tuition and living costs. Because Tanner triple majored, he finished with 174 credits— “Definitely not cheap!” he says with a laugh. Scholarship support enabled Tanner to find his place within UK’s campus community.
“While living on campus, I loved the sense of community that I was able to develop in the residence halls. Especially as a freshman, I was surrounded by people who were trying to navigate the same new waters that I was. As a first-generation student, I found a sense of comfort in my living learning community. Not to mention, the accessibility to all the services that campus has to offer.”
Tanner graduated in May, and he plans to become a Certified Public Accountant (CPA). His scholarship also provided him with the financial flexibility necessary to take the CPA exam.
“The donors make such an impact upon our schooling. School is stressful and worrying about how to pay for school is even more stressful. The donors help alleviate that so we can focus on being college students.”