Terrapin Beer Awards First Brewing Education Scholarship

From Terrapin:

Calvin Hood, rising Junior at Middle Tennessee State University, is awarded
the first-ever Tenth & Blake Brewing Education Scholarship

Athens, GA – Terrapin President Dustin Watts, Vice President and Head of Tenth and Blake Paul Verdu, and Professor and Fermentation Science Program Director at Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU), Tony Johnston, today announced that rising junior Calvin Hood would be the first-ever recipient of the Tenth and Blake Brewing Education Scholarship, a new collegiate academic program supported by Molson Coors Beverage Company. View Calvin’s reaction

“This was an exciting moment for us at Terrapin – and the brewing industry as a whole,” said Dustin Watts “We couldn’t be more thrilled to have Calvin as our first scholarship recipient and think he will be a great alum and ambassador for our brewing education scholarship.”

The Tenth & Blake Brewing Education Scholarship program supports people of color and LGBTQ+ students seeking a degree in Fermentation Science, and Terrapin Beer Co. partnered with Middle Tennessee State University for its Brewing Education Scholarship fund. The award also provides an opportunity to intern with Terrapin during the summer between the student’s junior and senior year of college.
“The Brewing Education Scholarship is both a programmatic stamp of approval by the craft brewing industry and a fantastic tool to incentivize students who may not have considered Fermentation Science as a career,” said Tony Johnston “I am confident that Calvin is the first of a growing wave of underrepresented young people who will recognize the potential for exciting careers in brewing and other Fermentation-based industries.”

Calvin grew up on a 26-acre vineyard in East Tennessee outside of Johnson City, where his family eventually went on to start their own winery. Calvin recalled learning about wine making from his stepdad at a young age and immediately became enamored with the possibilities that the Fermentation Science industry offers. “I believe fermentation is a way of expression and an artform,” said Calvin Hood “I’m new to beer but really eager to learn and feel that the possibilities are endless with the varieties in malts, hops, and yeast strains. Beer has the opportunity to be personal and I love that.”
For more information about the scholarship or to donate, visit www.terrapinbeer.com/scholarship

About Terrapin Beer Co.
Terrapin Beer Co. began as a passion for beer between founders Brian “Spike” Buckowski and John Cochran. The two brewed and released their first beer in 2002, a Rye Pale Ale that went on to win a gold medal at the 2002 Great American Beer Festival (GABF). Inspired by the creative culture of Athens, Ga., the brewery’s home, Terrapin works to create unique experiences through its craft beers and is distributed in 22 states. In 2019, Terrapin launched Terraprint, which focuses on environmental sustainability and community outreach. For more information about Terrapin’s year-round and seasonal lineups, or Terraprint, visit www.terrapinbeer.com

About MTSU Fermentation Science Program
MTSU’s Fermentation Science undergraduate degree is the first program of its type in Tennessee and is one of only two in the Southeast region. Fermentation Science courses are predominantly hands-on, and all are focused on preparing students for careers in industry or further education through graduate programs.  All faculty members have industry experience and work closely with students on ongoing research projects.  Because Tennessee is a member of the Southern Regional Academic Common Market, prospective students from other member states that do not offer a Fermentation Science degree at one of their state universities qualify for in-state tuition.
MTSU also offers a unique graduate program:  a Fermentation Science emphasis within the Master of Science in Professional Science (MSPS) degree.  This MBA-based program prepares individuals, with and without backgrounds in Fermentation, for careers in industries that utilize Fermentation to create end products and services.  Graduates of both the undergraduate and graduate programs frequently have job offers in hand before graduation.