Mentorship through tnAchieves was crucial for Roane State student

For Roane State Community College student Dalton Powers, the mentorship tnAchieves provided was just as valuable as the scholarship it offered.

TnAchieves, the forerunner of Tennessee Promise, offered students two years of community college tuition-free. All tnAchieves students have mentors who help students through the college admissions process.

“No one in my family went to college within two generations,” said Powers, a 2014 Jellico High School graduate who takes classes at Roane State’s Campbell County campus. “We had no idea what to expect. TnAchieves helped with that. TnAchieves helped me have some options.”

Powers will graduate from Roane State in May 2016. He plans to transfer to the University of Tennessee or Tennessee Tech and major in electrical engineering.

“I think it is interesting to build things that can change common life,” Powers said of his interest in engineering.

Powers said he has particularly enjoyed the faculty at Roane State.

“The teachers really do care and try to get the information across to you,” he said.

Fall classes begin Aug. 24.

Tennessee’s Community Colleges is a system of 13 colleges offering a high-quality, affordable, convenient and personal education to prepare students to achieve their educational and career goals in two years or less. All colleges in the system offer associate degree and certificate programs, workforce development programs and transfer pathways to four-year degrees. For more information, please visit tncommunitycolleges.org.