JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (Nov. 2, 2026) – ETSU triathlon student-athlete
Emily Jenkins is making an impact beyond competition, earning top honors at the ETSU Elevates Pitch Competition alongside project partner Sophie Greear for their initiative, Play It Forward.
Developed in partnership with Coalition For Kids, the project aims to increase access to foundational music education for children who may otherwise face financial or geographic barriers to music lessons.
Working under the guidance of faculty advisor Dr. Steph Frye-Clark, Jenkins and Greear designed a program that introduces elementary school students to music while promoting early cognitive and social development.
"Our project Play It Forward focuses on bringing foundational music lessons to children who do not have those opportunities," Jenkins said. "Music education barriers, such as cost or proximity to instructors or location, make it difficult to access those opportunities that are so important for social development and cognitive development."
During the summer, Jenkins and Greear implemented a four-week program featuring two sessions per week for students in first, third, and fifth grades. The initiative provided hands-on musical learning experiences while helping eliminate obstacles that often prevent children from accessing music education.
For Jenkins, the project also connects directly to her long-term aspirations.
Both Jenkins and Greear hope to become physicians serving rural communities, and their interest in improving health outcomes helped shape Play It Forward.
"As aspiring physicians, we want to focus on some of the things that affect health early on," Jenkins said.
"Music education has been associated with early cognitive development and social development."
Launched in 2019, ETSU Elevates challenges students to identify economic, social, or environmental issues affecting their communities and collaborate with regional organizations to develop practical, service-focused solutions.
Through workshops, coaching, and engagement with community experts, participants explore the root causes of their chosen issues and develop projects designed to bring about lasting change. The program culminates in the ETSU Elevates Pitch Competition, where students present their initiatives for an opportunity to secure funding to expand their impact.
With their winning project, Jenkins and Greear hope to build upon the success of their initial summer program by purchasing additional musical instruments and expanding their reach through a student-led volunteer network.
"Instruments, first of all, are very expensive," Jenkins said. "And so, we would hope to buy more instruments so that we can impact more students. And then we are also hoping to be able to impact more areas using a student-based volunteering program."
Jenkins' success also exemplifies ETSU Athletics' Be GREAT Paradigm, an all-encompassing approach to student-athlete development that emphasizes success in competition, in the classroom, and throughout life.
Built around the core values of being Grateful, Resilient, Excited, All In, and Together, the Be GREAT Paradigm provides support across ten foundational pillars, including academic achievement, career development, leadership, mentoring, and community participation.
Through Play It Forward, Jenkins has put several of those pillars into action, combining her academic and professional interests with community service, collaboration, and leadership. Her work alongside Greear and Coalition For Kids demonstrates how student-athletes can use their experiences and education to address challenges while preparing for careers beyond athletics.
While balancing the demands of collegiate triathlon and academics, Jenkins has shown the leadership, service, and commitment to others central to the Be GREAT philosophy. This has also led her to becoming a Rhodes finalist.
Through Play It Forward, Jenkins and Greear are helping create opportunities for local children while laying the foundation for a program designed to serve even more families in the future.
