A total of ten students, selected from each of UTM’s colleges, will be selected each year to participate in the three-year program. Students will be financially assisted for their involvement, however, beyond the monetary support, they will gain invaluable experience that will enhance their lives personally and benefit their communities collectively. As the program matures, it will adapt to match the needs of individual students with the demands of business and the community. Our goal is to make the McWherter Innovators the best trained and most sought-after candidates for positions in their chosen fields, if not creators of new employment opportunities themselves.
Ideal candidates will:
- be a student in good standing with the University and have three more years left at UTM
- be motivated, passionate, and committed
- possess the quality that instructors know as potential, which may be either already expressed or still hidden and waiting to be explored
- be creative thinkers, demonstrating imagination and the ability to see things from different perspectives and take them to different levels
- be open, trustworthy, trusting, and able to cooperate readily and collaborate productively
- have a desire to reach, learn, and grow
- have good written and spoken communication skills
- be able to take risks, learn from failures, and build on successes
- have the time to commit to the program
McWherter Innovator Benefits Include:
- One on one personal and professional mentoring, coaching, and planning.
- Personal and professional skills training.
- Networking opportunities and experiences.
- Connection to unique internships.
- Domestic and international travel experiences.
- Exposure to cultural events.
- Development of innovative projects and ventures.
- Opportunities to bring your ideas to fruition.
- Participation in diverse and dynamic collaborative teams.
- Monetary support in the form of financial stipends.
- The means to build the future you envision.
Applications for student McWherter Innovators are closed for the Fall 2020 and Spring 2021 due to current conditions with COVID-19. Please check back in the Fall of 2021. Thank you for your interest in the Ned Ray McWherter Institute. If you have any inquiries, please email nrmi@utm.edu.