KT Global 2024, a worldwide initiative by Maryville College alumni to give back to their communities, underway through April
April 11, 2024
Among current students, alumni, faculty and staff of Maryville College, the name Kin Takahashi — class of 1895 — is ubiquitous with the idea of service.
His impact on the school to which he dedicated so much of his life continues to this day, and there’s no greater example than Bartlett Hall. In his desire to bring a YMCA chapter to Maryville, he raised money, organized student workers and helped direct a campus-wide effort that resulted in the pressing of 300,000 bricks from the clay dug out of the ground on which the building now sits. He’s credited with introducing football to East Tennessee and served the inaugural MC squads as both captain, coach and player.
And his name is attached to specific events and efforts designed to give back to both MC and local communities, including KT Global, a worldwide give-back program that’s now underway. Originally designed as a single day in April, the annual event grew out of the KT Days tradition, in which Maryville College alumni return to their alma mater to invest “sweat equity” into improvement projects that include painting, power washing, light construction and more.
KT Days — which will again take place on the MC campus June 11-13, 2024 — fosters camaraderie while benefitting Maryville College, but three years ago, members of the Maryville College Alumni Association (MCAA) board, having heard from alums who want to give back but are unable to return to East Tennessee, organized a similar effort on a global scale, one that now takes place throughout the month of April.
“We are thrilled to see KT Global continue to expand in its fourth year,” said Jennifer Phillips Triplett ’07, director of the MC Office of Alumni Affairs, which organizes KT events alongside the MCAA. “This alumni-driven initiative began as a way to connect alumni, no matter where they live, in this spirit of service we learned from the legacy of Kin Takahashi. Service projects will be happening all month long across the country and globe.”
“After graduation, so many alumni have found their vocation in service, thanks to the influence and their time at Maryville College,” added Melissa Kiewiet ’14, KT Global taskforce co-chair and a leader of the Tri-State Scots alumni chapter in the Northeastern United States. “KT Global is another way to honor that influence by creating positive changes in our own home communities while representing Maryville College.”
Already, a number of alumni leaders have planned local KT Global projects open to participants who can sign up via the KT Global page on the MC website. Some — such as assisting MC Archivist Amy Lundell ’06 remotely in making the College’s historical collections more accessible, or helping Rachel Rushworth-Hollander ’08 create bags for children whose parents may be experiencing homelessness that include snacks, small hygiene items, and a personal note of encouragement — allow for volunteers to serve remotely and on their own time.
And for the first time, the MCAA board is sponsoring a project calling on alumni to stock the Scots Supplies Closet, a campus resource providing students unrestricted access to clothing, hygiene products and various other items at no cost. Alumni can find the Scots Supplies Closet Amazon wishlist on the KT Global page on the MC website to purchase items. Locally, items can be delivered to Room 327 of Bartlett Hall during normal business hours.
Other projects are boots-on-the-ground activities on specific days and times, including a build with Habitat for Humanity of Blount County, led by Rick Zielger ’70, at 8 a.m. April 22; planting and landscaping with the school’s PTA volunteers at Beaumont Magnet Academy in Knoxville from 9 a.m. to noon on April 6; and if interested volunteers feel like a 6,000-mile roadtrip, joining Hayata Akashi ’86 on April 23 to gather trash and litter in Oshitate Nakabori Park in Tokyo, Japan.
For Akashi, giving back in the spirit of Kin Takahashi to the nation that’s home to both of them makes the connection to his alma mater even more special.
“At the small but historic MC campus, I was blessed with close friends and talented teachers, and I was able to dramatically improve my English and music skills,” Akashi said. “And I am still able to continue working with those skills that I acquired at MC. During the pandemic, I remembered those things, learned of the existence of a Japanese person named Kin Takahashi, and decided to accept KT Global.
“With my family involved, we were able to enjoy ourselves and contribute to the local community in a limited amount of time. I think KT Global is a very unique idea that allows you to express your gratitude to Maryville College and contribute to the community at the same time.”
Sign-ups for numerous other KT Global events, both in East Tennessee and around the country, are open on the MC website. Alumni are encouraged to sign up with their peers or to find their own service projects to complete with friends and/or family during April. Organizers hope to maintain the momentum that saw KT Global increase in participation from 2021, when 239 volunteers in 26 cities and Japan signed up in its first year, to 2023, when 360 participants tackled 42 projects in five countries.
“The growth of KT Global is a testament to the commitment of MC alumni. I am so proud of all the great work accomplished in our communities,” said Stephani Richardson McCarty ’10, KT Global taskforce co-chair and leader of the Knox Scots alumni chapter. “It is incredible to feel connected to so many alums in this special way.”
“For 2024, our goal is to enlist 450 volunteers in 50 projects in 6 countries, growing the geographical reach of that spirit of service that is so important to Maryville College alumni,” added Ashleigh Oatts ’07, KT Global taskforce co-chair. “We know these lofty goals are in reach thanks to the grassroots efforts of the KT Global taskforce and the partnership of the MC Alumni Office.”
Learn more about the projects planned around the globe at www.maryvillecollege.edu/ktglobal.