The state is seeking mentors for its tnAchieves, a program that provides scholarships with mentor guidance to public high-school students.
The program needs about 150 more mentors from Knoxville to reach its goal of about 375, said Jackie Hartmann, director of operations for tnAchieves.
Mentors must be 21 or older and subject to a background check. They must complete an application online, https://tnachieves.org/mentor-application, by Nov. 1 and complete the mandatory mentor training by Dec. 1.
Mentors are expected to spend 10-15 hours each year assisting five high-school seniors to help them become successful in higher education. Each year, they’ll contact the students at least once every two weeks. There are also mandatory team meetings in January and March.
These mentors, Hartmann said, can help eliminate barriers students face and encourage them to reach their potential, by reminding them of meetings and deadlines, reaching out to parents/guardians when possible, helping them find opportunities for community service, and sharing their own experiences with students to make college less intimidating.
The tnAchieves Scholarship is a last dollar scholarship up to $4,000 annually for four consecutive semesters. The amount of money awarded is determined after all other sources of scholarships and financial aid have been awarded. Money is paid directly to the postsecondary institution. Funding begins in the fall semester following high school graduation. tnAchieves funds tuition only, not books.
TnAchieves works with 10 community colleges and five Tennessee colleges of applied technology.
Governor Haslam’s college access initiative, TN Promise, seeks mentors for its partnering organization, tnAchieves. Click here to learn more and sign up!
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