With deadline approaching, TN Promise needs 75 mentors for Montgomery County

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (CLARKSVILLENOW) – With only a little more than two weeks before the November 30th deadline, tnAchieves still needs almost 2,500 volunteer mentors across the state to support TN Promise students.

Locally, Montgomery County still needs 75 volunteers to ensure each scholarship applicant is paired with a local support system.

Mentors spend one hour a month assisting students as they transition from high school to college. They remind students of important deadlines, serve as a trusted college resource and, most importantly, encourage students to reach their full potential.

“After being elected County Mayor in September of 2014, I pushed hard for people to sign up to become a mentor for tnAchieves. Finally, it dawned on me, ‘If you are going to talk the talk, you should walk the walk!’ So in 2018, I signed up,” Montgomery County Mayor and local mentor, Jim Durrett, said. “Part of my hesitancy to participate was my schedule. ‘Would I really have time to do it?’ I had heard all the great things about the staff and how they were always there to support you, and guess what? They were. Even more than I anticipated.”

“Throughout my first year being a mentor, I really enjoyed interacting with the students,” Durrett continued. “It challenged me to make sure they had every opportunity to live out their dreams. Although my schedule remains busy, I signed up again this year. It truly is only about an hour per month. If one hour per month can change someone’s life forever, don’t you have the time as well!”

TN Promise, in partnership with tnAchieves, allows every graduating high school senior the opportunity to attend a community or technical college, as well as several universities, tuition free with mentor support. Many of the students that apply for the scholarship will be the first in their family to attend college and mentors work with students to overcome barriers that previously prevented students from accessing higher education.

Since the launch of TN Promise in 2014, economically disadvantaged students are 17 percent more likely to go to college and students participating in the program are graduating at rates higher than their non-TN Promise peers.

“Education needs community support and buy in to thrive,” says Krissy DeAlejandro, tnAchieves Executive Director. “tnAchieves launched in one community 10 years ago and spread across the state because it had the support of community leaders. We are not recruiting college experts. We are asking people who value education to serve as student cheerleaders!”

Potential mentors must be 21 years of age, are subject to a background check and complete a one hour training. For more information, or to apply, you can visit www.tnachieves.org or contact tnAchieves Deputy Director of Outreach Graham Thomas at (615) 604-1306 or graham@tnachieves.org.