TN Promise Journal #1

The Summer Bridge Program How many TN Promise students become more successful in college?

Our Partners tnAchieves by Krissy DeAlejandro, Executive Director of tnAchieves

TN Promise Journal

The purpose of the TN Promise

Summer Bridge Program is to

prepare students to begin the fall

semester academically and

socially prepared, decrease the

amount of learning support

course work needed for them to

succeed, and to establish a strong

cohort of students. The Summer

Bridge was held on Chattanooga

State’s main campus July 11-29.

On the first day of the program

all participants were required to

complete COMPASS Testing in

the Testing Center. Based on

their major or area of interest,

students met with Academic

Completion Coaches for advising

and course scheduling. Academic

Completion Coaches utilized the

Directed Course of Study Plans

and test scores to develop course

schedules.

Over the course of three weeks,

students participated in 1.5

hours of reading/writing in-

struction, 1.5 hours of math

instruction, and one hour of

lunch-and-learn daily covering

success.

In the inaugural year of TN

Promise, tnAchieves ad-

mired Chattanooga State’s

commitment to its TN

Promise students. This

commitment was evident

from the time tnAchieves

began working with the

Class of 2015 during their

Inside this issue:

The Summer Bridge Program 1

Our Partners tnAchieves 1

Meet Our Students 2

Important Dates 2

Confessions of a Mentor 3

Volume 1, Issue 1 Fall Edition

“As of the spring term, the fall 2015 cohort

had a 90% persistence rate. “

Julius Dodds, Director of Academic Retention

senior year of high school. It

was clear Chattanooga State

began planning for this first

cohort of students well in

advance, providing an abun-

dance of opportunities for

student support and guid-

ance. This translated into a

smooth transition for

students as they left high

school and entered post-

secondary, which is criti-

cal for all, but particular-

ly important for first

generation students.

(Continued on page 3)

Confessions of a TN Promise Mentor

Meet Our Students

FAFSA FRENZY

Chattanooga State Community College

Time: 4:30 - 6:30 p.m.

November 15, Pizza and drinks

November 22

December 6

Bring Driver’s License/State ID

Social Security Card

Student and Parent 2015 Tax Return

FAFSA DEADLINE: January 17, 2017

TN PROMISE APPLICATION DUE

November 1, 2017

COMMUNITY SERVICE

OPPORTUNITIES

November 11-12, 2016

November 19, 2016

COLLEGE TRANSFER FAIR

November 9, 2016, 10:10 a.m.

OMNI Building Main Hallway

FINAL EXAM WEEK

December 3 - 8, 2016, 8:00 a.m.-

9:00 p.m.

Myron Hilt chose to remain in his hometown to attend Chattanooga State Community

College because he wanted to “get a feel for college. Start small before moving on to a

bigger university.”

At six feet four inches, one would first assume that Myron is a star basketball player. Yet,

Myron is more the gentleman scholar… astute, soft-spoken, humble and mature beyond

his years.

“It has been a big academic adjustment coming to Chattanooga State,” Myron confides.

“Keeping track of assignments is the biggest challenge so far,” he muses.

When he’s not hitting the books, Myron is active with the Young Adult Ministry at a local

Methodist Church.

Myron plans to transfer to Austin Peay State University, after completing his studies at

Chattanooga State. His ultimate goal is to become a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine.

Do you have what it takes to mentor multiple students, many of

whom are first generation college students?

Mentoring is an integral part of the TN Promise experience.

Recruiting dedicated and committed individuals to work with TN

Promise scholarship recipients was a top priority.

At Chattanooga State Community College, approximately 80 facul-

ty and staff members volunteered to help keep students on track

as they negotiate the perils of the first two years of college.

Lori Warren, coordinator, Marketing, Outreach & User Experience

for Chattanooga State’s Kolwyck Library, is just one of the brave

souls who stepped up to meet the challenge of taking on multiple

mentees.

While only five mentees are suggested, Lori has taken on ten. It

helps that most of these students attended the STEM Academy

with and are close friends of her son.

Important Dates

“I wanted to go to college for my future. The TN Promise

Scholarship offered help in paying for college.”

Myron Hilt, TN Promise Student

Page 2 TN Promise Journal

(Continued on page 4)

“Measure what you value and value what

you measure.”

Dr. Flora Tydings,

President, Chattanooga State Community College

Our Partners tnAchieves

Words of Wisdom from Our President Important Dates

Nathan Cook, TN Promise Student

“It really helped me comprehend English better than I

did in high school.”

Ashley Bailey, TN Promise Student

What Students Said About the Summer Bridge

SEASONAL HOLIDAY

(Campus Closed)

December 23, 2016 - January 2, 2017

MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.

HOLIDAY

January 16, 2017

FASFA DEADLINE FOR TN

FINANCIAL AID PROGRAMS

TN Promise scholarship:

January 17th, 2017

Page 2 Volume 1, Issue 1 Page 3

(Continued from page 2)

(Continued from page 1)

One of the most innovative ways we have

seen this commitment displayed is through

Chattanooga State’s implementation of pre-

scriptive scheduling, a guided, structured

pathway to graduation. This new method of

advising is expected to increase each stu-

dent’s understanding of their academic

goals and increase the likelihood of timely

graduation.

“It was a comfortable environment that made learning

easy and fun.”

Confessions of a TN Promise Mentor

4501 Amni co la Highway CHATTANOOGA, TN 37406

For more information about the

TN Promise Journal contact:

Julius Dodds, Director of Academic Retention

(423) 697-5560

julius.dodds@chattanoogastate.edu

Sandy Smith, Completion Specialist

(423) 697-3159

sandy.smith@chattanoogastate.edu

Pub. No 11-70-200001-180-10/16-rss/bap – pdf - Chattanooga State Community College does not discriminate against students, employ-

ees, or applicants for admission or employment on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender

identity/expression, disability, age, status as a protected veteran, genetic information, or any other legally protected class with respect to all

employment, programs and activities sponsored by Chattanooga State. The following person has been designated to handle inquir ies

regarding the non-discrimination policies: Director, Human Resources, 4501 Amnicola Highway, Chattanooga, TN 37406, 423-697-2417.

“If you’re in a position to offer a community service

opportunity, that will help you get to know your

students better.”

Lori Warren, TN Promise Mentor

Five of Lori’s mentees attend Chattanooga State,

including a set of identical triplets. Two other

mentees are at UTK and three are attending UTC.

When asked about the best way to communicate with

her mentees, Lori says she has utilized both texts and

emails with texts proving to be far more effective.

The mentor’s primary role is to keep their TN Prom-

ise students abreast of important dates like deadlines

for FAFSA and Community Service. In addition, offer-

ing encouragement and answering questions is im-

portant.

According to Lori, “If you have a Tweeter feed, follow

TN Promise and tnAchieves. Just cut, paste, and re-

tweet their feeds to pass on valuable information to

your mentees.”

“If you’re in a position to offer a community service

opportunity, that will help you get to know your

students better,” Lori adds.