Oct 28th, 2014
While the deadline to apply for TN Promise is upon us, there is also a deadline to apply as a mentor for the program. This is a crucial piece of the program. TN Promise is about much more than a student being guaranteed two years of paid tuition.
The program hinges greatly upon ensuring that students, who have had no familial connection to post-secondary education, are given the direction they need to complete all the steps of registration necessary before they ever step foot into a classroom. Some of the simplest details are taken for granted by those who grew up as a second or greater generation college student.
For those that have not had this benefit, the whole concept of a registration process is completely alien. Deadlines are often missed simply because they didnt fully understand the process or routine. Many are overwhelmed with self-doubt and feeling a little out of place.
This is where the role of the mentor is so important in making this program a success. It is estimated that a mentor will invest 10-15 hours annually assisting 5-10 high school seniors with simple encouragement and prodding. The investment of time is minimal.
A mentors primary responsibility will be to contact their assigned students with crucial deadline information to ensure that they are aware of the next step in the process. The mentor will also be available to answer questions that come up and point the student in the right direction. Typically, most information given to students will be in the form of a scripted text message that TN Achieves will provide. The important part is to have a real, live point of contact that can support and hold these new students accountable.
If you have not done so already, consider volunteering as a mentor today. Not only can you make a big difference in the success of a student, you will ultimately have a role in the success of our economy by helping support the workforce with qualified applicants. Everyone wins. Visit https://www.tnachieves.org/a-mentor and apply today!