Meet Our Students
Invest in Lives of Great Promise
Who your gift supports
Your gift to Berea College is an investment in lives of great promise, helping to fund the education of bright young minds from Appalachia and beyond.
Meet Julian ’25, a young man from Clarkesville, Georgia, with big dreams who almost missed out on an opportunity that would shape his future. Julian’s journey to Berea College didn’t start with certainty. It began with a flyer and a leap of faith. At first, his parents were skeptical—how could a college offer free tuition and still provide a high-quality education for their son? But when Julian and his family visited Berea, everything changed.
Liz ’26 is a nontraditional biology student, teaching assistant, and farmhand at Berea College, where nontraditional students are defined as parents, married individuals, or those over 23. She lives on campus with her husband and two children at Berea’s EcoVillage, a community for nontraditional students. The opportunity to pursue higher education at Berea has been life-changing for her family, thanks to the generous support of donors.
As Abraham ’26 planned for college, he had excellent options—even full-ride scholarships elsewhere. He chose Berea not just for its no-tuition promise but for its unique focus on serving high-potential students from low-income families—a value he knew would shape his future.
Dani ’25 grew up in an Appalachian family steeped in the tradition of quilting. At Berea College, she’s been able to connect with her roots through her Student Craft position, where she explores classic Appalachian crafting techniques while creating her own designs. Berea has also helped Dani discover her path in life, offering opportunities to explore, learn, and grow.
Kimberly ’26 applied to many prestigious schools—and was wait-listed for most of them. She discovered Berea College through QuestBridge, an organization dedicated to helping low-income students attend college. “Originally, I thought Berea couldn’t be real,” she said. “There was no way Berea College would pay tuition for a student.”
Meet Aidan ’25, a Business major and president of Berea College’s campus investing club, who is proud of the progress that he has made during his time at Berea. Growing up in Letcher County, Kentucky, Aidan had never considered even applying to a private liberal arts institution until he received a postcard from Berea College’s Admission Department.