At Scale: The tnAchieves Podcast

tnAchieves

Welcome to At Scale: The tnAchieves Podcast, where we tap into the wisdom, insights, and bold ideas of our partners to fuel the mission of tnAchieves—expanding college access and success for Tennessee students. Hosted by Krissy DeAlejandro, President & CEO of tnAchieves, this podcast spotlights the thought leaders, educators, and industry trailblazers who challenge us to learn, grow, and innovate as we work to transform lives through higher education. Since 2008, tnAchieves has leaned on collaboration to break barriers and scale impact for students often seen as underdogs, and our partners are at the heart of that journey. Each episode brings candid conversations with state and national influencers—K-12 and college leaders, business visionaries, and student success advocates—who shape our strategies and push us forward. We’ll explore how these dialogues inspire us to refine our programs, rethink possibilities, and build a stronger Tennessee workforce. Subscribe on Spotify, Apple, or wherever you listen, and join us as we harness these voices to innovate and grow—because at tnAchieves, our partners don’t just support us, they transform us. Let’s dive in!

  1. 2d ago

    The Origin of Tennessee Promise with Governor Bill Haslam

    Encore episode. As the TN Promise application closes for the Class of 2027, we are revisiting our conversation with Governor Bill Haslam, the 49th Governor of Tennessee and a tnAchieves board member. Originally released in April 2026 as "Taking the 'Idea On A Whiteboard' Statewide" to celebrate one year of At Scale, this episode traces how an idea sketched on a whiteboard grew into Tennessee Promise and what it took to scale it statewide. In this conversation, we cover: • What led Governor Haslam from business into public service • How servant leadership shows up in high-stakes roles • The origin story of Tennessee Promise and Drive to 55 • Why connecting K-12, higher education and workforce matters • What keeps long-term, mission-driven work sustainable

    The Origin of Tennessee Promise with Governor Bill Haslam

  2. Oct 19

    FAFSA is in the Water: A Decade of Data with NCAN

    Tennessee leads the nation in FAFSA completion. The person who has tracked that lead for a decade has a simple explanation: FAFSA completion is in the water here. On this episode of At Scale, Bill DeBaun, Senior Director of Data and Strategic Initiatives at the National College Attainment Network (NCAN), joins hosts Ben Sterling and Tyler Ford to talk about the path from high school senior to college graduate and the data that helps communities support students along the way. Bill created NCAN’s national FAFSA Tracker, which ranks states on FAFSA completion and updates every Friday. The Class of 2027 marks the tracker’s tenth year. He shares how the project started, why he treats data as a flashlight rather than a scorecard and why nearly every question he gets comes back to denominators. He also explains what sets Tennessee apart, from former U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander’s push for FAFSA simplification to a statewide expectation that every senior files. The conversation turns to data storytelling: cutting the clutter, leading with the takeaway and giving school counselors, mentors and community partners information they can use with students. Ben and Tyler share how tnAchieves applies the same thinking to its Tennessee Promise application dashboard and to 60 by 2030, a statewide goal of a 60% three-year graduation rate. Bill closes with NCAN’s latest Affordability Gap analysis and why the Tennessee Promise has made such a difference for students and families. Learn more about 60 by 2030 at tnAchieves.org/60x2030. Listen to NCAN’s podcast, To a Degree, which explores the ideas, policies and practices shaping college access, success and attainment: https://www.ncan.org/Web/Web/To-a-Degree-Podcast.aspx?hkey=3fa481a3-2202-4884-84c4-adfe70884f6f Listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

    FAFSA is in the Water: A Decade of Data with NCAN

  3. Oct 5

    More Than Retail: Goodwill Industries of Middle Tennessee

    Most people know Goodwill for its stores. Fewer know what those stores pay for. Cindy Varner, Chief Mission Officer at Goodwill Industries of Middle Tennessee, joins Ben Sterling and Graham Thomas to explain how retail revenue funds education, training and employment services across 48 counties. She walks through Goodwill’s new Opportunity Center in Nashville, short-term training shaped by employer advisory councils, a training stipend of at least $150 a week and an individual career and financial plan for every person who comes through a Goodwill center. She also shares her path from 20 years in Arkansas state government to Goodwill, plans for an Excel Center adult high school in Nashville and why she believes Tennessee’s connected approach to education and workforce sets it apart. Listen now at tnachieves.org/news/goodwill.

    More Than Retail: Goodwill Industries of Middle Tennessee

  4. Sep 21

    Rural Roots, Real Careers with Tractor Supply Company

    Most students picture one job when they picture Tractor Supply. Melissa Kersey, Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer, is here to widen the frame. Melissa joins Ben Sterling and Graham Thomas to talk about what a career at Tennessee’s largest rural lifestyle retailer actually looks like: about 100 internships a year, co-op programs in engineering and IT that earn college credit, a dedicated college recruiting team that visits community colleges alongside four-year campuses and tuition assistance that now covers trade certifications for part-time team members. She also explains why store managers are given funds to invest in their own communities, why she started her own career as an hourly team member at 14 and what she looks for in students entering the workforce today. Listen now at tnachieves.org/news/tractor.

    Rural Roots, Real Careers with Tractor Supply Company

  5. Sep 7

    The World's Paper Company Rooted in Memphis

    Sylvamo spun off from International Paper five years ago, but its Memphis roots run much deeper. On this episode of At Scale, Neki Catron, Global Community Engagement Manager at Sylvamo, sits down with hosts Krissy DeAlejandro and Tyler Ford to talk about how a global paper company builds real community engagement at home. Neki walks through her own path from Memphis native to what she calls her dream job, the culture of volunteerism inside Sylvamo and why she frames education investment as strategy rather than charity. She and the hosts also dig into what employers need from the next generation of workers, how AI and automation are reshaping the skills that matter and why exposure, mentorship and a willingness to be uncomfortable move students forward. Sylvamo is a funding partner behind MemAccess and MemCOMPLETE, tnAchieves initiatives that help Memphis students earn postsecondary credentials and step into careers. Listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

    The World's Paper Company Rooted in Memphis

  6. Aug 24

    Accelerating Economic Prosperity for Tennessee Students

    Economic prosperity has always been the goal. For nearly two decades, tnAchieves has helped Tennessee students navigate the journey from high school to college, from college to graduation and, increasingly, from graduation to a meaningful career. What began as a local idea has become a statewide model built on a simple conviction: opportunity only matters when students can turn it into lasting economic prosperity. tnAchieves is more than programs. We represent a student-centered continuum, driving economic prosperity for Tennessee students by Building Tennessee’s Future Workforce. tnAchieves graduates will generate an estimated $40.6–$45.9 billion in lifetime earnings, a direct return on helping more Tennessee students complete postsecondary credentials — prosperity that extends to their families and communities. Read the report: tnachieves.org/prosperity-report RSVP for the Tour: tnachieves.org/tour

    Accelerating Economic Prosperity for Tennessee Students

  7. Aug 10

    A Statewide Mentoring Program: College Access and Workforce Mentoring

    Mentor registration for the tnAchieves class of 2027 is open, and this episode of At Scale is dedicated entirely to the mentor program: why it exists, how it has changed, and what it looks like today. tnAchieves Chief Content Officer Ben Sterling and Chief Community and Government Affairs Officer Graham Thomas open the episode by revisiting 2008, when the mentor program launched with 165 volunteers in Knox County working with fewer than 500 students. From there, Vice President of Workforce Tyler Ford talks about the mentor program's growth into a statewide, community-based effort that has recruited more than 100,000 mentors over nearly two decades, and the shift to a virtual model during the pandemic that made workforce mentoring possible. Director of Mentors Baylor Atkins closes the episode with a look at the program as it stands in 2026: two tracks, Access and Workforce, an opt-in model that connects mentors with students who ask for support, and a goal of 5,000 mentors by November 20 to serve the class of 2027. In this episode: — Why tnAchieves built a mentor program alongside its scholarship model — How the program grew from 165 volunteers to a statewide network — The shift from automatic pairing to an opt-in model, and what the data shows — How the pandemic pushed mentoring virtual, and what that made possible — The new Workforce Mentoring track for students moving into their careers — What mentoring looks like today, and how to register for the class of 2027 Register to become a mentor: tnAchieves.org/mentors Learn more about tnAchieves: tnachieves.org/what-is-tnachieves

    A Statewide Mentoring Program: College Access and Workforce Mentoring

  8. Jul 27

    Hilton's Playbook for Growing Local Talent

    Hilton has stood alongside tnAchieves since 2011, making it one of the organization's longest-standing corporate partners. On this episode of At Scale, hosts Ben Sterling and Tyler Ford sit down with Hope Thomas, Senior Manager of HR Consulting at Hilton, to talk about what that partnership looks like today and why Hilton continues to invest in it, even as Tennessee's economy and workforce needs have changed over the past decade and a half. Thomas walks through the full arc of Hilton's student investment: job shadow days that expose students to careers across the company, a ten-week internship program open to every function, and Launch, an early-talent program that moves recent graduates into entry-level roles at Hilton. Along the way, students build durable skills, professional networks, and a clearer picture of what's possible, well before they ever apply for a job. The conversation also turns to what students should be thinking about as they weigh their next steps: culture, professional development, and long-term stability alongside pay. For Hilton, that means treating students not as future hires to develop someday, but as talent worth investing in now, a mindset that connects directly to tnAchieves' work building pathways from high school to college to career.

    Hilton's Playbook for Growing Local Talent
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About

Welcome to At Scale: The tnAchieves Podcast, where we tap into the wisdom, insights, and bold ideas of our partners to fuel the mission of tnAchieves—expanding college access and success for Tennessee students. Hosted by Krissy DeAlejandro, President & CEO of tnAchieves, this podcast spotlights the thought leaders, educators, and industry trailblazers who challenge us to learn, grow, and innovate as we work to transform lives through higher education. Since 2008, tnAchieves has leaned on collaboration to break barriers and scale impact for students often seen as underdogs, and our partners are at the heart of that journey. Each episode brings candid conversations with state and national influencers—K-12 and college leaders, business visionaries, and student success advocates—who shape our strategies and push us forward. We’ll explore how these dialogues inspire us to refine our programs, rethink possibilities, and build a stronger Tennessee workforce. Subscribe on Spotify, Apple, or wherever you listen, and join us as we harness these voices to innovate and grow—because at tnAchieves, our partners don’t just support us, they transform us. Let’s dive in!

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