KT Days 2025: Love, devotion and memories bring Maryville College alumni back to their alma mater
May 9, 2025
One cannot set foot on the Maryville College campus without being greeted by the legacy of Kin Takahashi, who graduated from MC in 1895 and remains one of the College’s most legendary alumni.
According to the College’s Founding Story, “Takahashi pulled students together for the construction of a large building to house both a gymnasium and an auditorium to serve what is said to be America’s first on-campus YMCA. Takahashi, along with fellow students, manufactured 300,000 bricks in an on-campus ‘brickyard’ during the summer of 1895.”
That building is Bartlett Hall, which today serves not only as a hub for student life, but also as a monument to Takahashi’s service and loyalty to the College, as well as a source of inspiration for students and alumni who want to give back to the organization they call home.
In the summer of 1997, several members of the MC Class of 1960, inspired by Takahashi’s legacy, gathered to begin a tradition of service that has been carried on by dedicated alumni ever since and is known today as KT Days.
“KT Days is a special time bringing alumni home to their campus to express their love for this place through service,” explained Jennifer Phillips Triplett ’07, director of Alumni Affairs at Maryville College. “This year marks the 27th summer alumni have given their time and talents to their cherished alma mater. They have built a community, and each June is a reunion — which is always welcoming to more!”
KT Days 2025 will take place June 10-12, with volunteers traveling from far and wide to reunite with old classmates and give back to their alma mater in one of the most tangible ways they can — working together on physical labor projects that improve campus buildings and grounds.
“This is my fourth KT Days, and each year I am humbled by the passion of these alums — for their alma mater, for each other, for the tradition they have built. It’s truly an honor and joy to be part of this beloved tradition,” Triplett said.
Reggie Dailey, former director of the MC Physical Plant whose devotion to KT Days over the years has earned him the title of “Volunteer in Chief,” says that what makes this annual event so special is the love for Maryville College demonstrated by the volunteers. It’s clear, he said, that the campus is considered a home for so many former Scots, no matter how long they’ve been away.
“Being part of an annual gathering that puts that love to work in very visible ways is very special to me,” said Dailey. “The friendships made and renewed in service to the College keep the KT’ers coming back year after year.”
“There’s really no way to calculate how much of an impact KT Days has had over the years in terms of cost savings, but more importantly, in terms of care and attention to detail,” added Suzy Booker, vice president for Advancement at Maryville College. “Because these individuals are working on projects for their alma mater, this place that means so much to them, the love and care that goes into everything they do — from sprucing up flower beds to making kiosks to painting fences — is apparent in the quality of their work and immeasurable impact over these 27 years. They give their all for Maryville College, and that serves as a true reminder that some of the biggest contributions by alumni aren’t necessarily monetary.”
The volunteers work on a variety of projects each year — some small, ongoing beautification projects like weeding flower beds and ridding the Maryville College Woods of invasive plant species, and others that are much larger.
For example, KT’ers were responsible for building the original set of stairs down to the MC soccer field, which Dailey says is one of the most memorable projects he’s worked on.
“That was my first KT Week, it was a large-scale project, it met a pressing need, and I met so many good people who became friends,” he said. “And, in some ways, it led to my future position as the Physical Plant director nearly a decade later.”
That project took place nearly 20 years ago, but to this day KT Days volunteers continue to work on large projects for the betterment of MC’s campus.
“In 2024, we saw an amazing effort to complete the new fence at Crawford House — the existing picket fence was torn down and replaced in just three days. As teams finished up their own projects, everyone converged at Crawford to join the effort and finish the fence,” Triplett explained. “I can’t wait to see what will be accomplished in 2025.”
There’s a full agenda of projects planned for 2025, including carpentry, landscaping, masonry, painting and archival projects to improve campus for all those who live, visit or work on MC’s grounds.
For example, Dailey explained, one of this year’s projects has been on the to-do list for a while: renovating the foot bridge to the amphitheater in the College Woods.
“That project will improve the College Woods experience for those that visit the Woods; it will also improve the ability of Facilities Operations to maintain the Woods facilities,” Dailey said. “I always look forward to all the projects. Even the seemingly simplest project makes a positive difference for the College.”
KT Days 2025 will take place June 10-12, and volunteers who are staying overnight can check in Monday, June 9 and have dinner on campus followed by an ice cream social, which local alumni and the MC community are invited to attend.
The projects will begin bright and early on June 10, followed by a welcome lunch with College President Dr. Bryan Coker and the MC community.
On the evening of June 12, a wrap-up dinner will be held to recognize and celebrate the hard work the volunteers have completed throughout the week, including a slideshow of before and afters — which will also be shared online after the event — and an opportunity for each group leader to talk about their group’s accomplishments. For the first time, this event will be held at the Maryville College Downtown Center.Those alumni and supporters of MC who still wish to sign up as KT Days participants can do so on the Maryville College website through Wednesday, May 14.