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Carter County needs an additional 19 mentors to ensure each TN Promise student has a local support system

For the seventh year, tnAchieves exceeded its goal of 9,000 volunteers by recruiting nearly 9,500 mentors to work with the Class of 2021. This milestone serves as a testament to the giving spirit of Tennesseans and the belief that sometimes the simple encouragement of a local mentor can be the key to unlocking a student’s full potential.
“On behalf of the tnAchieves board of directors and team, we want to share our sincere gratitude for our many partners across the state,” said tnAchieves Executive Director Krissy DeAlejandro. “Though COVID-19 has presented various education challenges, thanks to the support of educators, civic clubs, businesses, elected officials, and individuals across the state, we exceeded our mentor goal. This means more than 62,000 TN Promise students will have someone in their corner as we work to transition them from high school to college. Mentors are difference makers in our program and across our state!” 
In its seventh cohort, 62,000+ students applied for TN Promise from the Class of 2021. TN Promise provides last-dollar scholarship support for students attending community and technical colleges as well as four-year institutions offering associates degrees. Mentors serve as a resource, nudge important deadlines and most importantly, help students overcome barriers preventing them from going to college. 
“Mentors are an irreplaceable part of the TN Promise program,” said tnAchieves Director of Mentors, Tyler Ford. “The personal advocacy and encouragement that a mentor offers is at the heart of our work. We are grateful to all those who have volunteered to serve as a mentor in the coming year. Their support ensures students have the resources and encouragement necessary to achieve their goals.”
The mentor application will remain open through the end of January to assist those counties who have yet to meet their mentor need. In Carter County, we will need an additional 19 mentors to ensure each TN Promise student has a local support system. The application can be found at www.tnachieves.org/mentors.apply.  
tnAchieves is a 501(c)3 non-profit that has provided scholarships with mentor support since 2008. Those interested in learning more can visit www.tnAchieves.org or contact Tyler Ford at mentors@tnachieves.org.