At Scale Newsletter: November 2025
Welcome to the latest edition of the At Scale Newsletter, where we highlight the impactful programs and initiatives falling into one of our three priorities — all designed to drive our mission to Build Tennessee’s Future Workforce.
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tnAchieves Highlighted in HCM Strategists REport
When we say, “Students First, Always,” we mean this value drives our programs and innovations to best serve every student on their way to post-secondary enrollment and completion. That’s why we develop wraparound student supports and programs to ensure they have success.
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Thank you to HCM Strategists for highlighting tnAchieves and our work in its latest issue, State Policy Agenda to Support the Adoption and Scaling of Evidence-Based Student Success Practices: Affordability Policy! Overall, the brief explores how state-level affordability policies can support evidence-based student success programs. That includes our Knox Promise Program, which is featured on page 13!
Knox Promise launched in 2019 to increase the number of Knox County graduates by providing additional financial and coaching support for students. Backed by private funding, Knox Promise offers every Knox County high school graduate who remains eligible for TN Promise a COMPLETE Coach who proactively supports students until they achieve a college degree or credential. In addition, students receive emergency aid grants to ensure unexpected financial burdens are not barriers to college graduation.
Mentor Goal Met & Giving Tuesday
We don’t often stop to celebrate here at tnAchieves; we believe there’s too much work to be done! However, we do like to celebrate our community partnerships and the wins to best support students. That’s why we’re proud to announce, with your help, we have reached our mentor recruitment goal for 2026!!!
More than 5,300 volunteers across the state have raised their hands to help students take their next steps from high school to college or college to career. We are deeply grateful to each mentor who has returned to support students for another year. Thank you to each of you who also helped us get the word out to your own networks and communities. We also want to say a very special welcome and thank you to the more than 1,200 of you who registered as mentors for the first time! Thank you for joining us as we Build Tennessee’s Future Workforce!
If you were unable to register as a mentor this year but still want to support our work, tnAchieves will be joining the global generosity movement known as Giving Tuesday.
This year, Giving Tuesday is December 2, 2025, but we’re spreading the word now! If you would like to get a head start on your holiday giving, we’d kindly ask you to consider making a tax-deductible gift to tnAchieves today.
A gift of just $83 goes directly to supporting students as they pursue their college and career goals. Why $83? tnAchieves supports students through proactive coaching and administrative support at just $83 per student per year. Peer organizations often spend more than $2,000 per year per student.
To kickstart us, every gift made BEFORE Giving Tuesday will be matched by our Board Chair, Randy Boyd.
We are so deeply grateful for your generosity in time and money. We know there are many organizations and causes that are also worthy, and we don’t take it for granted that you support tnAchieves and our students. We truly could not do this work without you!
Mock Interview Day at SWTCC
Building Tennessee’s Future Workforce means ensuring students are prepared to enter the workforce once they have that college degree or credential.
Thank you to Southwest TN Community College for partnering with tnAchieves for a mock interview day! Nearly 50 students stopped by to practice their interviews with Career Services and Advising before they prepare to enter the workforce. They were able to receive some valuable feedback in real time about their interview skills.
Students told us they learned things like the importance of adding personal touches about themselves so future employers can get to know them. We hope it makes them more comfortable and more prepared as they interview for their first jobs!
We are so grateful to Southwest for partnering with us to make sure students learn both inside and outside of the classroom!
