Krissy DeAlejandro

Clearing Pathways for Students with THEC's Dr. Steven Gentile

August 11th, 2025  |  41 mins 20 secs

college access, college affordability, college promise, community building, higher ed, post-secondary attainment, technical education, tennessee, tuition-free college, workforce, workforce development

Did you know Tennessee leads the nation in 2025-2026 FAFSA filing? Each year, tnAchieves partners with THEC/TSAC, colleges and local school systems to provide FAFSA filing support. It’s just one of the ways THEC works to reduce the barriers to higher education. In this episode of the At Scale podcast, THEC’s Executive Director, Dr. Steven Gentile, explains how they’re clearing pathways to make sure every student in Tennessee can pursue a high-quality education and high-value credentials that will serve them as they enter the workforce.

The Season of Value and The Great Admissions Redesign with Lumina's Melanie Heath

July 28th, 2025  |  48 mins 9 secs

college access, college affordability, college promise, community building, higher ed, post-secondary attainment, technical education, tennessee, tuition-free college, workforce, workforce development

In this episode of At Scale, The tnAchieves Podcast, Krissy DeAlejandro and Ben Sterling chat with Melanie Heath from The Lumina Foundation. Heath is Lumina’s Strategy Director for Access and discusses the next big goal Lumina is setting for the year 2040 and how it will empower America’s workforce, which aligns directly with tnAchieves taking a human approach to Building Tennessee’s Future Workforce. Heath also discusses Lumina’s new partnership in Tennessee to redesign the college admissions process. She explains the concept of Direct Admissions and how it will eliminate another barrier to post-secondary education.

Get Your Money Right™ with SoFi's Brian Walsh

July 14th, 2025  |  35 mins 43 secs

banking, college access, college affordability, college promise, community building, financial literacy, higher ed, investing, personal finance, post-secondary attainment, sofi, technical education, tennessee, tuition-free college, workforce, workforce development

In this episode of At Scale, tnAchieves sits down with SoFi’s head of advice and planning Brian Walsh—aka Dr. Money. This year, SoFi is teaming up with tnAchieves and five-time Grammy nominee Kelsea Ballerini to launch the Rising Stars Program. This partnership will help jump start a student’s financial literacy journey by covering topics like budgeting, investing and saving for the future. Dr. Money shares insights into what financial independence means for students as they enter the workforce and how planning for the future financially is crucial at the start of a student’s career.

Pioneering Wraparound Supports with Donna Linderman

June 30th, 2025  |  39 mins 46 secs

college access, college affordability, college promise, community building, higher ed, post-secondary attainment, technical education, tennessee, tuition-free college, workforce, workforce development

In this At Scale episode, tnAchieves chats with Senior Vice Chancellor for Student Success for the State University of New York (SUNY). Donna Linderman is a pioneer in creating programs for college coaching. These programs are centered around customized, student-focused support that will help students through college completions. Donna shares insights into how these groundbreaking programs came to be, how they continued to scale until becoming statewide and the data it takes to tell the story of these programs’ success.

Harvard's Project on Workforce with Nathalie Gazzaneo

June 16th, 2025  |  49 mins 15 secs

In this episode of At Scale: The tnAchieves Podcast, hosts Krissy DeAlejandro and Ben Sterling of tnAchieves, sit down with Nathalie Gazzaneo, Co-Director of the Harvard Project on Workforce, to tackle bridging the college-to-career gap. Nathalie introduces the Workforce Almanac, a practical open-source tool mapping U.S. workforce training providers, and shares research on how technology and skill demands are reshaping tomorrow’s job market. She provides clear, actionable strategies for non-profits to align education with industry needs and boost economic mobility. A must-listen for students, educators, and policymakers, this episode delivers straightforward insights to Build Tennessee’s Future Workforce. Tune in to gain practical solutions for a stronger Tennessee.

AI + The Workforce of Tomorrow with Dr. Stephen Streiffer of Oak Ridge National Lab (ORNL)

June 2nd, 2025  |  38 mins 29 secs

In this installment of At Scale, tnAchieves sits down with Dr. Stephen Streiffer, Director of the Oak Ridge National Lab (ORNL). ORNL serves as a massive economic and scientific driver for the Southeastern US and is making significant gains with artificial intelligence (AI) and how it will impact the future of Tennessee (and the nation's) workforce. Dr. Streiffer shares insights into how someone can pursue a career at ORNL, what skills business/industry are looking for when hiring and how he sees AI influencing the workforce of tomorrow.

Ensuring a Healthy National Talent Pipeline with College Promise

May 19th, 2025  |  47 mins 1 sec

college access, college affordability, college promise, community building, higher ed, post-secondary attainment, technical education, tennessee, tuition-free college, workforce, workforce development

In this episode, Krissy DeAlejandro and Ben Sterling talk with Dr. Martha Kanter, CEO Emerita of College Promise and former U.S. Under Secretary of Education, and Rosye Cloud, Interim CEO of College Promise. They explore how College Promise expands access to high-quality post-secondary opportunities for all students. The conversation highlights the movement’s role in strengthening America’s talent pipeline.

Connecting Education to Employment with SCORE President & CEO David Mansouri

May 5th, 2025  |  42 mins 5 secs

college access, college affordability, college promise, community building, higher ed, post-secondary attainment, technical education, tennessee, tuition-free college, workforce, workforce development

In Episode 2 of At Scale: The tnAchieves Podcast, SCORE President & CEO David Mansouri discusses how aligning education with workforce needs can drive long-term success for Tennessee students and the state’s economy. The conversation highlights the power of collaboration, data-driven decision making, and cross-sector partnerships in transforming student outcomes. Mansouri and tnAchieves explore how intentional connections between education and employment prepare students for meaningful careers.

We're All On The Same Team with Dr. Jon Rysewyk and Dr. Anthony Wise

April 21st, 2025  |  49 mins 57 secs

college access, college affordability, college promise, community building, higher ed, post-secondary attainment, technical education, tennessee, tuition-free college, workforce, workforce development

In the first episode of At Scale: The tnAchieves Podcast, hosts Krissy DeAlejandro and Ben Sterling welcome two visionary leaders in education: Dr. Jon Rysewyk, Superintendent of Knox County Schools, and Dr. Anthony Wise, President of Pellissippi State Community College.

At Scale: The tnAchieves Podcast Trailer

April 7th, 2025  |  4 mins 11 secs

college access, college affordability, college promise, community building, higher ed, post-secondary attainment, technical education, tennessee, tuition-free college, workforce, workforce development

#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

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.