Graham Thomas
Graham Thomas, tnAchieves director of community partnerships, will be the guest speaker at Lunch with the League at noon Tuesday, September 16, in the Social Hall of the Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church, located at 1500 Oak Ridge Turnpike.
tnAchieves, a partnering organization to Governor Bill Haslam’s Tennessee Promise, serves primarily first-generation, low-income students in an effort to increase this population’s likelihood of earning a college credential. While the funding provided by Tennessee Promise is critical to increased post-secondary access, tnAchieves data confirms that working with a mentor further enhances a student’s likelihood of entering the post-secondary pipeline, a press release said. In fact, the University of Tennessee’s Center for Business and Economic Research found that students participating with tnAchieves are nearly 21 percent more likely to enter college.
Central to the success of tnAchieves is the mentoring program. Volunteer mentors play an active role in eliminating barriers associated with post-secondary access and success. The role is simple but significant as mentors help our students reach their potential. At its core, tnAchieves mentors complete an application, choose their preferred high school, complete a one-hour training session, attend two one-hour meetings, and communicate with students every two weeks via email, phone or text as they transition from high school to college. tnAchieves designed its mentoring program so even the busiest executive, parent, or young professional could make a meaningful impact, the press release said.
Sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Oak Ridge, Lunch with the League is open to the public. There is no cost to attend, and reservations are not needed. Box lunches will be available starting at 11:30 a.m. Tuesday on a first-come, first-served basis for $8, or you may bring your own. Coffee and tea are provided. For more information, visit lwvoakridge.org.
