Brinkley-Lane Profile: Drew Crumpler
Today’s traditional college students grew up in the era of the side hustle, and Andrew “Drew” Crumpler of Bentonville, Arkansas, is a man for this moment. A musician (guitar, bass and piano), he writes, performs and records instrumental tracks in the style of popular artists, uploads them to music marketplaces and collects dollars on the downloads.
“I’ve made a good amount of money doing this,” he said.
His parents, Chris and Heather, can rest easy knowing it hasn’t cut into his studies. The Bentonville High School graduate maintains a 4.27 and this year was a semifinalist for a National Merit Scholarship.
He applied to schools in his family’s home state of North Carolina. Before he heard from any, he was accepted at East Carolina and offered a Brinkley-Lane scholarship: a fully funded education, covering the cost of tuition, fees, room and board for both in-state and out-of-state students and unique high impact experiences, as well as the ability to explore the world with a $5,000 study abroad stipend.
“Even if I did get accepted [elsewhere] I would not have seriously weighed it,” he said. “I’m so happy with how things turned out with East Carolina.”
Brinkley-Lane Scholars is the most prestigious undergraduate award program offered at ECU. The four-year merit scholarship recognizes outstanding academic performance, commitment to community engagement and strong leadership skills. Scholars benefit from access to an array of leadership opportunities, research with award-winning faculty and a robust alumni network.
Crumpler credits the Bentonville school district’s Ignite Professional Studies program for his success. In it, upperclassmen take advanced classes half of the day, then round out their education with internships.
“That was the first time I’d had to put myself out there, to sell myself in an interview or explain myself in a work setting,” he said. “That program really increased my confidence in myself. Without that, I definitely would’ve been less likely to apply for Brinkley-Lane.”
Crumpler had opportunities to intern in area hospitals and residential care settings. He pursued and obtained certification as a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) and recently earned Emergency Medical Technician certification. It coincided with a period when his grandmother suffered late-stage Alzheimer’s disease. She died last year.
“Seeing her slowly deteriorate from that and the CNA staff and nursing in the home she had to move into, their attitude, the jokes they would make, it rubbed me the wrong way,” he said. “If this is a common feeling among health professionals, that has to change. I want to get involved and speak out against those issues while at ECU.”
First, he’ll cherish time with lifelong friends in Northwest Arkansas this summer, seek groups and activities he’ll check out at ECU come fall and imagine his expenses-paid study abroad in England or Italy.
Because in a few short years, he’ll finish and move quickly onto graduate studies in medical school or a nurse practitioner program. The benefits of his scholarship and its juice on an undergraduate campus will all be in the past. What will not fade fast, he said, are the friendships.
“Right now, even before we’ve started class, I and the other 19 Brinkley-Lane scholars have group chats on iMessage and Instagram. We’re already getting to know each other, planning activities for the future,” he said. “I’m really looking forward to spending the next four years making lifelong friendships.”
“Right now, even before we’ve started class, I and the other 19 Brinkley-Lane Scholars have group chats on iMessage and Instagram. We’re already getting to know each other, planning activities for the future. I’m really looking forward to spending the next four years making lifelong friendships.”
High school: Bentonville High School
Intended major: Nursing
Current City: Bentonville, Arkansas