tnAchieves Inducts 2024 Mentor Hall of Fame Members
This week tnAchieves is announcing the 2024 inductees into the tnAchieves Mentor Hall of Fame. The Mentor Hall of Fame includes volunteers who have gone above and beyond consistently in the interest of supporting students to make a lasting impact on the program and in their communities.
tnAchieves Mentor Hall of Fame inductees include educators, business professionals and community leaders from across the state. This group has consistently answered the call to serve students and ensure that a clear path exists in communities across Tennessee from high school to college and ultimately, a gainful career.
Regardless of whether a mentor has served for one year or 15, they are making a difference in their community and for the state as a whole. tnAchieves relies on a thousands of mentors annually to stand with students and serve as local higher education advocates.
“tnAchieves better serves both students and communities because of our volunteer mentors,” said tnAchieves President and CEO Krissy DeAlejandro. “These 18 Hall of Fame inductees represent a foundational component of ensuring all students have a successful pathway from high school through college into a meaningful career. We continue to be so thankful for those who continue to support, encourage and lead. It’s true – mentors matter.”
Knox County Hall of Fame Inductees shared their thoughts on mentoring and its impact:
- “I am encouraged by students eager to have a positive influence on the lives of others. Just this spring I met a tnAchieves student determined to embark on a career in nursing despite all the new demands and challenges facing healthcare workers. That gives me great hope and optimism.” – John Becker
- “The move from high school to real life can be terrifying. As a first-generation college student, I know how daunting it can be to feel like to you have to decide your life’s path in its entirety. It’s important that our students have an unbiased resource to cling to for advice and guidance through this process.” – Brittany Ford
- “As a mentor, I think that students can learn from me and from my experiences, plus they don’t feel like they are trying to navigate this ‘scary, unknown’ road alone.” – Leigh Anne Touzeau
tnAchieves has introduced the following mentors into the Hall of Fame:
- Linda Barclay – Obion County – 10 years
- John Becker – Knox County – 10 years
- Marlin Curnutt – Grainger County – 11 years
- Beth Duggar – Marion County – 10 years
- Brittany Ford – Knox County – 8 years
- Kris Frye – Loudon County – 12 years
- Steven Gentile – Davidson County – 11 years
- Michael Harrison – Sumner County – 10 years
- Carissa Hoitenga – Shelby County – 10 years
- Lesli Lee – Shelby County – 8 years
- James Mantooth – Weakley County – 8 years
- Dana Peterka – Roane County – 13 years
- Yvonne Schlangen – Dickson County – 9 years
- Avery Swinson – Hamblen County – 11 years
- Leigh Anne Touzeau – Knox County – 14 years
- Dennis Tumlin – Rhea County – 9 years
- Patrick Wade – Rutherford County – 10 years
- Christopher Whaley – Roane County – 12 years
tnAchieves inducts mentors into the tnAchieves Mentor Hall of Fame annually. Previous inductees can be found here. Those wishing to join tnAchieves as a mentor can visit https://www.tnAchieves.org/mentors. 1,200 volunteer mentors are still needed by the November 15, 2024 deadline.
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 contact Tyler Ford at (309) 945-3446 or tyler@tnAchieves.org.
