Jenkins Family endows the Jenkins Family Finish Line Endowment for APSU students
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – Don and Sandy Jenkins recently made a new contribution to endow the Jenkins Family Finish Line Endowment, which they previously established as the Jenkins Family Finish Line Scholarship in 2019. Since that time, they have invested $75,000 in financial aid for 51 Austin Peay State University students. Of those recipients, 26 were first-generation college students.
“Our family believes in education to further the principles of democracy in our great nation,” Don Jenkins said. “Democracy only works if the populace is educated. We want to help those who are struggling financially near the end of their college education with the Jenkins Family Finish Line Scholarship. These students don’t have quite enough money to finish. We hope this will help them to graduate and go into the job market with skills that will enable them to excel in today’s job market.”
To be eligible for the Jenkins Family Finish Line Scholarship, students must be current juniors or seniors. Students will be required to use the funding from this endowment as a one-time award to complete their degree. The APSU Scholarship Committee will determine the recipients of the scholarship based on financial need.
“Nearly all of the recipients of this scholarship have graduated, and the remaining students will earn their degrees this December,” APSU Vice President for University Advancement Kris Phillips said. “We are thrilled that this scholarship has yielded a 100% graduation rate for the students that have received assistance through the endowment. This is just one of the many ways in which the Jenkins family has made a lasting impact on this University and our students.”
Don and Sandy, along with their daughter, Casey, and their late son, Blake, have supported APSU for many years, both through athletics and academics. Their family business, Jenkins and Wynne Ford-Lincoln-Honda is now one of the top automobile dealerships in the nation.
Don has served as both president and chairman of the APSU Foundation, vice president of the Foundation’s Board of Trustees, a member of its executive committee and a member of the APSU Board of Trustees. He was an organizer and director of Cumberland Bank, vice chairman of the bank’s executive committee, 2013-14 chairman of the Clarksville-Montgomery County Industrial Development Board, 2014-15 chairman of the Economic Development Council, co-chair for two building campaigns at First Baptist Church and two-time chairman for Military Affairs at the Clarksville Chamber of Commerce. He is currently president of the Middle Tennessee Honda Dealers Association, president of the Clarksville New Car Dealers Association, vice chair of the Clarksville-Montgomery County Industrial Development Board, and a member of the executive committee of the Clarksville-Montgomery County Economic Development Council.
Jenkins is often recognized for his business and philanthropic work, being named Tennessee’s Time Dealer of the Year in 2010, 13-time winner of the American Cancer Society’s “Best of Clarksville” award, six-time winner of the Honda President’s Award and 10-time winner of Ford’s President’s Award. He was also presented with the 2013 Lincoln President’s Award and the United Way of the Greater Clarksville Region’s Ben C. Parks Award. Jenkins recently received the APSU Alumni Association’s Outstanding Service Award, the Candlelight Ball Wendell Gilbert Award and the Tennessee Board of Regents’ Chancellors Award for Excellence in Philanthropy.
Endowments are permanently restricted funds managed by the Austin Peay State University Foundation. The amount of each scholarship award may vary and will be determined based upon the value of the endowment and the Foundation spending plan.
To support APSU fundraising initiatives, contact the Office of University Advancement at 931-221-7127.
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