The tnAchieves Podcast

Mentor Moment: Summer Prep for Success

July 8th, 2024  |  17 mins 56 secs

college, higher education, mentoring, tennessee, tn promise

Welcome to another inspiring episode of the tnAchieves podcast! Join our hosts, Senior Director of Mentors Tyler Ford and Outreach Manager Baylor Williamson, as they delve into the critical role volunteer mentors play during the summer months in preparing students for their upcoming college journey in the fall.

Mentor Moment: Community Service

June 12th, 2024  |  20 mins 55 secs

tnAchieves Sr. Director of Mentors Tyler Ford is joined by tnAchieves COMPLETE Coach Emily Jones to discuss the upcoming July 1 community service deadline. Learn how you can support your students as they complete this important TN Promise requirement!

Mentor Moment: Preparing for Summer

May 8th, 2024  |  22 mins 51 secs

college, higher education, mentoring, tennessee, tn promise

In this episode, Tyler Ford sits down with Ben Sterling to discuss how mentors should be preparing to work with students this summer! Summer is a critical time for students as they graduate from high school, register for classes and make final preparations to begin in the fall.

MENTOR MOMENT: Summer Bridge

April 23rd, 2024  |  22 mins 23 secs

act, college, higher education, mentoring, summer bridge, tennessee, tn promise

Mentor Moment host Tyler Ford is joined by tnAchieves Sr. Director of Communications Jessica Macey to discuss the upcoming tnAchieves Summer Bridge Program. Hosted at all 13 TN community colleges, Summer Bridge is a free, 14-day program designed to help students begin college more prepared.

MENTOR MOMENT: Working With Your Students

April 10th, 2024  |  27 mins 21 secs

college, financial aid, higher education, mentoring, tennessee

The Mentor Moment is a podcast designed to enhance the tnAchieves mentor experience. Learn more about scholarship requirements, best practices and how to best serve students.

MENTOR MOMENT: 2024-2025 FAFSA

March 27th, 2024  |  30 mins 31 secs

college, fafsa, financial aid, higher education, mentoring, tennessee

n this episode, the Mentor Moment delves into the 2024-2025 FAFSA and how tnAchieves mentors support students. Host Tyler Ford and Knox Access Director Allison Johnson dissect the FAFSA, sharing tips and updates. Listeners learn about the importance of timely FAFSA completion, gain insight into tnAchieves' support, and discover resources for accessing financial aid.

Mentor Moment Trailer

March 25th, 2024  |  50 secs

college, higher education, mentoring, tennessee, tn promise

The Mentor Moment is a podcast influenced by and designed for tnAchieves mentors. Join Tyler Ford from tnAchieves every other week for an episode highlighting tips and best practices to enhance your mentoring experience!

#FindYourWhyTN Panel Series: Breaking Family Cycles

February 18th, 2021  |  1 hr 1 min

breaking cycles, college, college student, education, first-generation, learn, non-profit, self-help, student, thrive

Hear from three individuals that represent the first person in their family to attend college. We hope this discussion inspires you to Find Your Why! Learn more about #FindYourWhyTN​ at tnAchieves.org/findyourwhy.

Get to know each panelist:
Krissy DeAlejandro: https://youtu.be/i1kqxAIROnU​
Sumner Deason: https://youtu.be/DdRWFuloxzc​
Mike Ragsdale: https://youtu.be/QxcG8ELuep8

Leadership with Randy Boyd, Mike Ragsdale and Krissy DeAlejandro

April 20th, 2020  |  51 mins 12 secs

college, college student, education, learn, non-profit, self-help, student, thrive

Becoming a great leader requires hard work, trying a lot of things and learning from failure. Hear from tnAchieves Board Members Randy Boyd and Mike Ragsdale and Executive Director Krissy DeAlejandro as they discuss what it takes to become a great leader!

This interview is taken from one of our virtual community service webinars. We liked it so much we turned it into a podcast!

On a Mission with Graham Thomas and Krissy DeAlejandro

March 23rd, 2020  |  40 mins 47 secs

college, college student, education, learn, non-profit, self-help, student, thrive

More than a decade has passed since knoxAchieves was launched from a whiteboard in the Knox County Mayor's office, but Executive Director Krissy DeAlejandro's commitment to student success has not wavered. Since 2008, tnAchieves has grown, innovated and paved pathways for all students, including those that are the first in their families to pursue college. The seventh installment of our podcast dives into the beginnings of tnAchieves, why it was founded and how we have stayed true to our mission. Graham Thomas steals Krissy's mic for an engaging interview!

Promise Programs with Dr. Michelle Miller-Adams and Dr. Celeste Carruthers

March 9th, 2020  |  48 mins 9 secs

college, college student, education, learn, non-profit, self-help, student, thrive

Tennessee provides each high school senior the opportunity to earn a post-secondary credential tuition and mandatory-fee free through a first-of-its-kind Promise scholarship. Communities, cities, colleges and even other states have looked to Tennessee for guidance in launching their own Promise programs. Hear from Dr. Michelle Miller-Adams from the Upjohn Institute and Dr. Celeste Carruthers from the University of Tennessee's Boyd Center for Business and Economic Research, as they discuss the growth and impact of Promise programs nationally and the success of Tennessee Promise.

The Power of a Resource with Janice Bettis and John Cagle

February 24th, 2020  |  41 mins 59 secs

college, college student, education, learn, non-profit, self-help, student, thrive

The fifth episode of the tnAchieves podcast features two longtime mentors, Janice Bettis and John Cagle. Joining us in 2011, Janice and John share what brought them to tnAchieves, what keeps them engaged and how tnAchieves has impacted their communities.

A Great Idea with Randy Boyd

February 4th, 2020  |  44 mins 29 secs

college, college student, education, learn, non-profit, self-help, student, thrive

A conversation between Randy Boyd and Knox County Mayor Mike Ragsdale became an idea in 2008. Their idea was a program that would result in more low-income, first-generation students enrolling in college. With Randy's support, Knox Achieves launched with the Class of 2009, became tnAchieves in 2012 and transitioned to its current role as a partnering organization to TN Promise in 2015. Without Randy, tnAchieves would not exist, and his leadership as our chairmen has been transformative. Learn more about Randy's journey, his impact on tnAchieves and his goals for the future on Episode 4.

Thriving (Surviving?) First Semester with Emma and Timari

January 21st, 2020  |  37 mins 35 secs

college, college student, education, learn, non-profit, self-help, student, thrive

The third installment of the tnAchieves Podcast features two current TN Promise students, Timari and Emma, as they discuss the ups and downs of their first semester of college. Timari and Emma share different perspectives and experiences, offering something for every student as they work to thrive as college students. We know the first semester can be the hardest, often feeling more like surviving than thriving. Take a page out of Timari or Emma's playbook and start thriving!

Audio Issue: At 14:49 a technical issue affected Timari's mic; however, her answer was too good not to share! We apologize for the audio quality on a couple of Timari's answers.

College Presidents Aren't That Scary with Dr. Anthony Wise

December 17th, 2019  |  44 mins

college, education, nonprofit, president self-help, scary

The second episode of the tnAchieves Podcast features Dr. Anthony Wise, President of Pellissippi State Community College. For more than a decade, Pellissippi State has welcomed new programs and been a vital partner to our work. Dr. Wise’s leadership has been invaluable as we try new things and keep what works. Learn about how he started his journey at Pellissippi and his tips on being a successful student on a community college campus! We think you’ll find that college presidents aren’t all that scary.

Being Brave with Ben Sterling

November 20th, 2019  |  26 mins 41 secs

bravery, college, education, nonprofit, self-help

Our very first episode welcomes Ben Sterling, a graduate of the first knoxAchieves class and a current member of the tnAchieves team.