In the Motlow Smyrna Spotlight: Jonathan Graham

By Charles Whiting

Motlow Buzz Faculty Editor

          Tennessee Promise Director Jonathan Graham quietly goes about his work on a daily basis, helping to fulfill the educational aspirations of hundreds of Motlow students. His excellent work at the college earned a nomination for Tennessee Board of Regents Statewide Outstanding Achievement Recognition Award for Staff Excellence. In this issue of The Buzz, Jonathan steps into the Motlow Smyrna spotlight to provide insights about the fast-growing Tennessee Promise program.

Motlow State Community College Tennessee Promise Director Jonathan Graham (photo recently published in the Motlow Newsroom at https://news.mscc.edu/news/motlow-tennessee-promise-director-jonathan-graham-nominated-for-tbr-excellence-award.)

QUESTION: Briefly describe your role with tnAchieves.

ANSWER: “I work very closely with tnAchieves to serve Tennessee Promise students. First, I attend mandatory meetings at local high schools hosted by tnAchieves in order to provide high school seniors information about the Tennessee Promise Scholarship as well as information regarding the enrollment/financial aid process here at Motlow State Community College. Second, I work closely with tnAchieves staff to help students who are facing specific obstacles. For example, a student may have trouble submitting their community service hours in which case I will reach out to tnAchieves on the student’s behalf to find a resolution to the problem. Conversely, a student may be having trouble signing up for a new student orientation or understanding their financial aid requirements, in which case tnAchieves may reach out to me on a student’s behalf to find a resolution. So, we work together in order to make sure that students are successful and complete the requirements that they need to in order to successfully enroll and maintain their Tennessee Promise eligibility.”

QUESTION: How many Motlow Smyrna students are participating in the program this fall, and how will it benefit them?

ANSWER: “This Fall 2019, we have 639 eligible Tennessee Promise students registered at the Smyrna Campus who are a part of the new Fall 2019 cohort. In sum, we have a total of 939 eligible Tennessee Promise students from all TN Promise cohorts at the Smyrna Campus who are currently registered for the Fall 2019 term. Roughly 60% of all eligible Tennessee Promise students registered at the Smyrna Campus are receiving some Tennessee Promise funding, so this scholarship is benefiting these students greatly.”

QUESTION: What are the next two or three deadlines on students’ timelines?

ANSWER: “The deadline to complete the Tennessee Promise application is Nov. 1, 2019 for current high school seniors graduating in 2020.

 

The next community service deadline for currently enrolled Tennessee Promise students is Dec. 2, 2019.

The 2020-2021 FAFSA opened on Oct. 1. The deadline for all Tennessee Promise students to complete this FAFSA is Feb. 1, 2020.”

QUESTION: What are some of the community service opportunities for students in the program?

ANSWER: “Broadly speaking, students can volunteer at a state park, a food bank, a school, or library to earn their community service hours. There are more specific opportunities that arise throughout the school year, and many of these volunteer opportunities can be found by going to https://tnachieves.org/community-service/middle-tennessee/. Students can select their county to find local community service opportunities in their area.”

QUESTION: What is the biggest challenge Tennessee Promise students face, and how can we (faculty, administrators and staff) help solve them?

ANSWER: “The biggest challenge that Tennessee Promise students face is often keeping up with the many deadlines that they must meet in order to remain eligible for the scholarship. Faculty and staff can help students by simply asking them if they have completed their upcoming Tennessee Promise requirements. When meeting with students, faculty and staff can simply ask if they are a Tennessee Promise student and, if so, if they have completed their community service requirement/FAFSA/and financial aid requirements. Faculty and staff can also encourage students to stay in touch with the financial aid office to ensure that all of their financial aid requirements are complete as well.”

QUESTION: Would you like to share a student success story? (How has the program made an impact on students’ lives?)

ANSWER: “We had a Tennessee Promise student a couple of years ago who came to Motlow to pursue an AAS Degree in Mechatronics. He and his family were not going to be able to afford him going to college had it not been for the Tennessee Promise program. The student did exceptionally well in the Mechatronics Program and was hired by Bridgestone Firestone directly after graduating from college and is making a very good living. I hosted a campus cleanup day while he was still taking classes at Motlow State, and I remember talking to the student about his goals as we were picking up trash in our ditches on campus. At that point in time, he was just hoping that going to school would pay off and that he would be able to get a good paying job after he graduated. He went on to do just that and has become very successful since graduating from Motlow.

QUESTION: What’s the most interesting or funniest experience you’ve had with Tennessee Promise students?

ANSWER: “Some of the funniest experiences that I have had with Tennessee Promise students are when I attend trash pickup opportunities with them and they get to see what kinds of things people throw away/litter. Once, a student found a stand-up dummy punching bag in a ditch and had a pretty good time with that find. These kinds of opportunities allow for students to see how much people litter and how much trash we produce as a society. It allows them to have conversations about the environment and it’s funny to listen to their reactions as we come across ‘unique’ litter finds.”

QUESTION: What is the best way for participants to contact you for advice?

ANSWER: I can be reached by phone at (615) 220-7839, by email at jgraham@mscc.edu, or by text at (615) 258-6262.

Success is... Serving as a TnAchieves Mentor

By Charles Whiting
Motlow Buzz Editor-in-Chief

            There’s something exciting about volunteering for the TnAchieves/Tennessee Promise program. Perhaps it has something to do with the great memories I have of my very first day of college and the anticipation of the life-changing experiences to come. When I learned about the program and the opportunity to volunteer, that’s the first thing that crossed my mind. It would be a wonderful way to help incoming students with big dreams have a smooth transition to college, while reliving a few unforgettable memories.

            I love the slogan TnAchieves uses: “Changing Lives, Transforming Communities.” According to the organization, its mission is to increase higher education opportunities for Tennessee high school students by providing last-dollar scholarships with mentor guidance.

            The leadership at TnAchieves has been outstanding, starting with a well-organized and encouraging orientation to the program. Mentors begin by selecting a high school for their mentees and attending a one-hour training session with overview, instruction and Q&A. A wide range of dates, times and locations are available, making the process a breeze.

(Photo of Charles Whiting and TnAchieves mentee Brandon Pineda by Jonathan Graham)

            When you arrive for your kick-off mentor meeting, TNAchieves representatives greet you with a smile. They ask you to sign an attendance sheet, then give you a booklet that contains a thorough list and description of student to-dos with deadlines. Mentors are encouraged to communicate regularly with their assigned students over the coming months to provide advice and reminders for due dates.

            The student checklist includes completing their TnPromise Application, attending team meetings, applying to an eligible Tennessee Promise institution, and completing eight hours of community service.

            I was assigned an initial seven male students at Smyrna High School in Rutherford County. My first task was to write each student to remind them about their upcoming first team meeting. I used an e-mail message to introduce myself and tell them a little bit about college life. Several students and/or parents responded, saying they looked forward to meeting me.

            We met for the first time during a specially called Tennessee Promise assembly in the school’s auditorium attended by several hundred students and their parents. During our meeting at an assigned table, I introduced myself and invited them to touch base or drop by to see me if they had any questions. It was fun learning more about them and meeting some of their parents. If I didn’t have the answer to a question, I’d walk them over to a staff member like Jonathan Graham. I asked each student to introduce himself and confirm his contact information. I followed up after the meeting with a note saying I looked forward to working with them.

            In the ensuing weeks and months, TnAchieves provided helpful correspondence about upcoming deadlines, asking mentors to remind their assigned students. To be eligible for Tennessee Promise, candidates had to submit all requested admissions documents to the anticipated college by May 1 and complete eight hours of community service by July 1. They would need to enroll as a full-time student at a Tennessee Promise-eligible institution (minimum of 12 hours) and attend team meetings on various dates hosted by TnAchieves. They would also have to file applications for Federal Financial Aid (FAFSA) by a certain deadline.

            With so many to-dos with stringent deadlines, you can see how valuable a mentor can be in helping secure bright futures for Tennessee Promise students. And it doesn’t take a tremendous amount of our time. I’m happy to know there are a host of other Motlow faculty members who have volunteered, and even happier to know that some of our mentees are attending college on our four campuses. Special thanks to Jonathan Graham and the other TnAchieves leaders and representatives for the wonderful work they do.

            To learn more about TnAchieves, visit www.TnAchieves.org.

Commencement Ceremony for Motlow Smyrna Students to Occur at 4 p.m. May 5

         SMYRNA -- Motlow Smyrna students will participate in the 48th annual Commencement during a ceremony at 4 p.m. May 5 (Saturday) inside Nisbett Center on the Moore County campus.

         Incoming President Dr. Michael L. Torrence will preside over the ceremonies, with Krissy DeAlejandro, executive director of tnAchieves, serving as guest speaker.

         According to the Motlow office of Admissions and Records, more than 1,100 Motlow students have applied to graduate, making up the largest graduating class in the history of the college. Moore County and Fayetteville campus students will graduate at 10 a.m. Students from the McMinnville campus and the Nursing class will graduate at 1 p.m. The day will end with Smyrna campus students receiving their degrees.

Krissy DeAlejandro, executive director of tnAchieves

         As the leader of the partnering organization for Tennessee Promise, DeAlejandro’s work through tnAchieves has contributed to enrollment increases and student outcomes for Motlow and other community colleges throughout Tennessee. The overwhelming majority of these students are the first in their families to attend college. Raised in a small town in rural Tennessee, Krissy herself is the first in her family to attend college. She received her bachelor’s degree from the University of the South in Sewanee and pursued her master’s degree and doctorate at the University of Tennessee, where she began teaching at age 24.   

 

Motlow Seeks tnAchieves Mentors for Tennessee Promise Program

By Jonathan Graham

Tennessee Promise Director

Motlow Buzz Contributing Writer

         “Empower students… Be a resource… Transform your community…”

These are the words echoed by tnAchieves every year as they begin to recruit college mentors across the state of Tennessee.

 One of the unique features of the Tennessee Promise Scholarship program is the mentor component in which each Tennessee Promise student is paired with a mentor from the local community. Mentors help high school seniors prepare for college by informing them of important college deadlines, encouraging them throughout the college transition process, and by connecting them to important college resources.

 Each college mentor is paired with five to 10 high school seniors whom they help transition from high school to college.

“Mentors remind students of important deadlines, answer students’ questions, alleviate their concerns, and most importantly, encourage students to reach their full potential,” said Graham Thomas, deputy director of engagement and partnerships for tnAchieves.

We need your help!

Active recruiting for tnAchieves is occurring across the state. In 2017, some counties did not reach their mentor goal. This year, the Motlow team is hopeful that there will be enough mentors to help provide quality assistance to each high school student.

Below is a breakdown of the number of mentors currently needed by each county in Motlow’s service area:

Make a difference!

                Becoming a tnAchieves mentor is extremely easy. Mentors simply need to complete a mentor application by Dec. 1, 2017. Mentors will select a preferred high school, complete a one-hour training session, and attend a total of two meetings with their mentees.

I’m in! Am I eligible?

                Mentors must:

                * Be 21 years or older.

                * Apply by Dec. 1, 2017

                * Complete a mentor training by Feb. 15.

                For more information about becoming a tnAchieves mentor, please visit www.tnachieves.org