Appalachian Scholar
Olivia Roberts learned the importance of Appalachian culture, history, environment, and community firsthand growing up in the mountains of East Tennessee. Her grandparents passed down stories of their lived experiences in the region, instilling in Roberts a deep understanding of her Appalachian heritage—and a passion for celebrating it.
“I knew I wanted to pursue a degree in this field when I came to UT in the fall of 2023,” she said. “UT does not offer an Appalachian studies major—but I was determined to find a way to continue my education on this topic.”
The College Scholars Program in the College of Arts and Sciences was her answer. The program, established in 1794, is the longest running honors program at UT and provides students with the flexibility to design a degree program to fit their academic and career goals.
Forging Her Path
When she learned about College Scholars, Roberts knew this was the path to create her own major: Interdisciplinary Appalachian Studies. It allows her to explore the diversity of the people and region through anthropology, art, literature, folklore, music, geography, religion, history, education, economics, customs, migration, health care, and even tourism.
“There is no one way to describe the complexities of Appalachia, so I knew I needed to cover a variety of subjects,” said Roberts, whose coursework includes environment and geography classes that address sustainability in Appalachia, English courses focused on Appalachian authors and oral/folk tales, history courses about Knoxville and Appalachia, and religion and gender courses that give further insight into the region’s culture.
“Being in the College Scholars program also gives me an important standing among professors,” said Roberts. “They will often allow me to write my assignments to be specifically tailored to this region, allowing me to develop broader contexts about Appalachia through the course materials being discussed in class.”
Dispelling Stereotypes
Students in College Scholars formulate a final capstone project and build toward defending a thesis, similar to a PhD student defending their doctoral project. Roberts’s capstone looks at Appalachia in a way that breaks stereotypes and offers a relevant understanding of the region’s rich cultural heritage.
Having an interdisciplinary major continues to remind me of the importance of public service in the Appalachian community,” said Roberts. “It continues to inspire me to develop a narrative not often discussed about this region—one of promise, hope, and joy.”
“One of my primary focuses is the generational disparity this region faces through stereotyping,” she said. “I strive to challenge misconceptions through preserving cultural heritage to promote the regional identity of Appalachians.”
Roberts seeks to build understanding of socioeconomic inequality in Appalachia, how contemporary influences conflict with Appalachian traditional values, and how this makes it difficult to pinpoint an identity for many of the region’s citizens. She explores this identity through the historical and cultural background of the people.
“Storytelling is one of the most important facets of recording interpersonal memories, history, legends, and superstitions,” said Roberts. “I want to capture their importance as an expression for the modern generation of Appalachians to remember.”
Successful Scholarship
Roberts credits the connections she has made through College Scholars as one key to her successful program, including an internship at the East Tennessee Historical Society, where she met valuable colleagues in the region’s history community and researched the experiences of East Tennessee women during the Civil War. She also worked at the historic Mabry-Hazen House researching the stories of enslaved families in Appalachia.
These experiences guide career plans to continue her research and support the Appalachian region professionally.
“Having an interdisciplinary major continues to remind me of the importance of public service in the Appalachian community,” said Roberts. “It continues to inspire me to develop a narrative not often discussed about this region—one of promise, hope, and joy.”
By Randall Brown