With a record number of Tennessee students applying for TN Promise, tnAchieves, the partnering organization that administers Governor Haslam’s TN Promise locally, needs 2,500 volunteer mentors to ensure each student has a local support system.
This year more than 62,000 students applied for TN Promise! Each applicant is paired with a volunteer mentor that spends one hour per month helping ease the transition from high school to college. Mentors remind students of important deadlines, serve as a trusted college resource and encourage students to reach their potential.
Statewide the program has recruited 72 percent of the volunteers needed to meet student demand. Locally, Knox County has recruited well, finding 91 percent of mentors needed. Fifty-four mentors are still needed to meet student demand. Other counties in the area have mentor needs:
- Anderson County: 13
- Blount County: 42
- Campbell County: 13
- Claiborne County: 7
- Cumberland County: 20
- Fentress County: 11
- Grainger County: 17
- Loudon County: 7
- Morgan County: 19
- Scott County: 17
- Sevier County: 37
- Union County: 8
“Many TN Promise students are intimidated by the college-going process,” said tnAchieves Executive Director Krissy DeAlejandro. “Mentors provide the nudges and encouragement our students often need to be successful. If you have one spare hour per month, please consider serving as a mentor. It is a small commitment that can have a big impact on a student’s life.”
tnAchieves trains all mentors, provides them with a handbook and sends weekly updates to ensure that the mentor is armed with the tools necessary to work with their students. Interested volunteers can apply and find more information at www.tnachieves.org/mentors/apply.
tnAchieves is a privately-funded scholarship and mentoring program that seeks to provide an opportunity for every Tennessee student to earn a post-secondary degree.
If you have questions about the tnAchieves mentoring program, please email Graham Thomas at graham@tnachieves.org.
