Shows
At Scale: The tnAchieves PodcastFrom Exposure to Career: Healthcare in East Tennessee with UT Medical CenterIn this episode of the tnAchieves At Scale Podcast, we are joined by Dr. Keith Gray and Craig Pickett from UT Medical Center for an in-depth conversation on workforce demands across East Tennessee and the critical role healthcare partners play in preparing the next generation of talent.
Together, we explore how tnAchieves and UT Medical Center collaborate to create meaningful job shadowing and career exploration opportunities that allow students to experience healthcare careers firsthand. Dr. Gray and Craig share insight into current and emerging workforce needs, particularly within allied health fields, and discuss what students should know...
2025-12-1538 min
At Scale: The tnAchieves PodcastFrom Policy to Practice with Senator Bo WatsonFrom Policy to Practice with Senator Bo Watson
On this episode of the At Scale podcast, tnAchieves President and CEO Krissy DeAlejandro and Senior Vice President Graham Thomas sit down with Senator Bo Watson, longtime representative of Hamilton County and Chair of the Senate Finance Committee. Guided by his belief that his role is to “improve quality of life for all Tennesseans,” Senator Watson discusses his path to public service, his approach to the state budget, and his vision for Tennessee’s education and workforce future.
*A Heart for Service
*
Senator Watson did not en...
2025-12-0147 min
At Scale: The tnAchieves PodcastExploring Tennessee's College Pathways with Dr. Flora TydingsThe TN Promise scholarship offers every high school senior in the state of Tennessee the chance to go to community college or technical school tuition and mandatory fee free. As a partnering organization to the TN Promise scholarship, tnAchieves could not do the work we do without the partnership and support of the Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR). TBR is a unified system that oversees every community college and Tennessee College of Applied Technology (TCAT) in the state.
In this episode of the At Scale podcast, we sit down with TBR’s Chancellor, Dr. Flora Tydings. She ex...
2025-11-1738 min
At Scale: The tnAchieves Podcast2025 Chamber of the Year with Greater Memphis Chamber's Ted TownsendBuilding Tennessee’s Future Workforce means having strong relationships with the chambers of commerce across the state. We often sit down with their leaders who wake up each day thinking about the best ways to drive a thriving economy, hire a diverse and talented workforce and attract the best businesses to their area. Those are also things we think about as we help students into and through college and on their way to a thriving career. We also think about how to best equip students in rural areas versus urban ones and in East Tennessee versus West Tennessee (and ev...
2025-10-2039 min
At Scale: The tnAchieves PodcastTraining Tennessee's Workforce with TCAT Presidents Melody Edmonds and Cliff WightmanAt tnAchieves, we like to put a big tent around the word college. College is not just four-year universities. It also includes community colleges and Tennessee Colleges of Applied Technology (TCATs). While many may think of TCATs as being separate, they DO belong under the college umbrella; the word college is right there in the name!
Building Tennessee’s Future Workforce means we believe EVERYONE belongs in college, and there’s a place for each student to get a high-quality credential after high school before entering the workforce. In this episode of the At Scale podcast, we sit...
2025-10-0646 min
Catalysts for ChangeBreaking Barriers in Higher Education with Krissy DeAlejandroIn this episode of Catalysts for Change, Adam Lister speaks with Krissy DeAlejandro, Executive Director of Tennessee Achieves, the nonprofit powering the Tennessee Promise scholarship program. From growing up in rural McMinnville as a first-generation college student to leading one of the most ambitious college access programs in the country, Krissy’s journey is defined by resilience, humility, and a relentless belief in the potential of every student.She shares candid stories about feeling unprepared at college, the moments that gave her the confidence to persevere, and how those experiences now fuel her mission to remove barriers fo...
2025-09-2355 min
At Scale: The tnAchieves PodcastPolicy in Action: Partnering for Tennessee’s Future Workforce with Michael HendrixBuilding Tennessee’s Future Workforce isn’t something that tnAchieves does alone. It takes support and partnership from a variety of partners. That includes our state’s government. tnAchieves expanded to be a statewide organization during former Tennessee Governor (and current tnAchieves Board member) Bill Haslam’s time in office. His support and enthusiasm were crucial in the creation and implementation of the TN Promise scholarship.
Today, that support still comes from current Tennessee Governor Bill Lee’s office as well as the General Assembly. It takes Governor Lee’s vision for our state’s economic future and the creati...
2025-09-2238 min
At Scale: The tnAchieves PodcastAn Idea On A Whiteboard with tnAchieves Chairman Randy BoydEver wondered how tnAchieves began? We started in 2008 as knoxAchieves. It began as a conversation…and an idea on a whiteboard. That brainstorming idea grew into a workforce development initiative in Knox County. From there it continued to grow and scale (hence our podcast name) before becoming the statewide and nationally recognized organization it is today.
tnAchieves would have never gotten off the ground in Knox County without our Board Chairman and UT System President Randy Boyd. We would not have expanded to other counties as a college access and success program. We never would never have gr...
2025-09-0835 min
At Scale: The tnAchieves PodcastClearing Pathways for Students with THEC's Dr. Steven GentileIf you’re talking about the higher education landscape in the state of Tennessee, you can’t do it without talking about THEC/TSAC. The Tennessee Higher Education Commission/Tennessee Student Assistance Corporation (THEC/TSAC) is the layer between higher education and the state government that thinks through the needs of higher education and the policies needed to support it. THEC serves as that central hub to make sure every student in Tennessee is able to pursue a high-quality education and high-value credentials.
In this episode of the At Scale Podcast, THEC’s Executive Director, Dr. Steven Gentil...
2025-08-1141 min
At Scale: The tnAchieves PodcastThe Season of Value and The Great Admissions Redesign with Lumina's Melanie HeathThe Lumina Foundation is a private philanthropy foundation that is devoted to making opportunities for learning beyond high school available to everyone. One of the things it’s best known for is setting a goal for the nation around post-secondary attainment. That includes Tennessee’s Drive to 55 goal which aims to increase the percentage of working age Tennesseans with a college degree or certificate to 55 percent by 2025. The Drive to 55 served as a launching point for the Tennessee Promise.
In this episode of the At Scale Podcast, Lumina’s Strategy Director for Access Melanie Heath talks about the ne...
2025-07-2848 min
At Scale: The tnAchieves PodcastGet Your Money Right™ with SoFi's Brian WalshIn May, SoFi and tnAchieves launched a partnership alongside Tennessee native Kelsea Ballerini called The Rising Stars Program. The goal is to equip the next generation of Tennessee students with the tools to achieve financial independence. As part of the partnership, SoFi is equipping all tnAchieves students with a financial planning curriculum to cover topics like budgeting, investing and saving for future life milestones.
In this episode of At Scale, the tnAchieves Podcast, we’re joined by SoFi’s head of advice and planning Brian Walsh—aka Dr. Money. The SoFi Philosophy is to attack debt with a plan...
2025-07-1435 min
At Scale: The tnAchieves PodcastPioneering Wraparound Supports with Donna LindermanDonna Linderman is the Senior Vice Chancellor for Student Success for the State University of New York. In her current role and previous role at the City University of New York , Donna has been instrumental in revolutionizing student-focused support. As you listen, you may hear a few acronyms you'll want to be familiar with:
• SUNY – State University of New York
• CUNY – City University of New York
• ASAP – Accelerated Study in Associate Programs
• ACE – Accelerate, Complete, Engage
ASAP|ACE are student success programs for postsecondary students that provide participation with personal, academic and financial suppor...
2025-06-3039 min
At Scale: The tnAchieves PodcastHarvard's Project on Workforce with Nathalie GazzaneoNathalie Gazzaneo serves as the Co-Director of The Project on Workforce at Harvard University. This innovative project is researching and providing guidance on closing the college to career gap and ensure future workforce needs are met.
In this episode, we dig into the research The Project on Workforce is focused on like the Workforce Almanac. We also talk pragmatically about today’s workforce needs and how certain organizations and businesses are thriving in our current climate. We wrap up with advice from Nathalie on how non-profits like tnAchieves can best serve students who are navigating the journey fr...
2025-06-1649 min
At Scale: The tnAchieves PodcastAI + The Workforce of Tomorrow with Dr. Stephen Streiffer of Oak Ridge National Lab (ORNL)In this episode of At Scale, the tnAchieves Podcast, we’re joined by Dr. Stephen Streiffer, Director of Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), one of the nation’s most advanced research institutions and a major economic engine for the Southeastern United States. As ORNL continues to lead groundbreaking work in fields like energy, national security, and especially artificial intelligence (AI), Dr. Streiffer offers a compelling look into how innovation at the lab is shaping not only the future of science, but also the future of Tennessee’s workforce.
Together, we explore what it takes to pursue a career...
2025-06-0238 min
At Scale: The tnAchieves PodcastEnsuring a Healthy National Talent Pipeline with College PromiseIn this episode of At Scale: The tnAchieves Podcast, hosts Krissy DeAlejandro and Ben Sterling sit down with Dr. Martha Kanter, CEO Emerita of College Promise and former U.S. Under Secretary of Education, along with Rosye Cloud, Interim CEO of College Promise. Together, they explore the mission and nationwide impact of the College Promise movement—expanding access to high-quality post-secondary opportunities for students of all backgrounds. The conversation highlights the urgent need to strengthen America’s talent pipeline and the role College Promise plays in building a more equipped and prepared workforce. From policy to practice, this episode offe...
2025-05-1947 min
At Scale: The tnAchieves PodcastConnecting Education to Employment with SCORE President & CEO David MansouriIn the second episode of At Scale: The tnAchieves Podcast, SCORE President & CEO David Mansouri joins the conversation to discuss the evolving landscape of education and workforce development in Tennessee. The episode centers around SCORE’s strategic priorities, emphasizing the importance of cross-sector collaboration and the role of meaningful data analysis in driving outcomes. Mansouri highlights how building strong, intentional connections between education and employment is vital to ensuring Tennessee students are prepared for the demands of the modern economy. The conversation explores how partnerships between education leaders, nonprofit organizations, policymakers, and employers are critical to achieving statewide progress....
2025-05-0542 min
At Scale: The tnAchieves PodcastWe're All On The Same Team with Dr. Jon Rysewyk and Dr. Anthony WiseIn the first episode of At Scale: The tnAchieves Podcast, hosts Krissy DeAlejandro and Ben Sterling welcome two visionary leaders in education: Dr. Jon Rysewyk, Superintendent of Knox County Schools, and Dr. Anthony Wise, President of Pellissippi State Community College. The discussion ranges from Knox County Schools' new 865 Academies to how Pellissippi State Community College has innovated to meet the ever-changing needs of students. Alongside Knox County leaders, Dr. Rysewyk, Dr. Wise and tnAchieves helped form ADVANCE865 - a community aligned effort to increase the number of Knox County high school seniors pursuing high-quality post-secondary pathways. Learn more at...
2025-04-2149 min
At Scale: The tnAchieves PodcastAt Scale: The tnAchieves Podcast Trailer**Welcome to At Scale: The tnAchieves Podcast, where we explore the bold, complex, and transformative work of tnAchieves—a Tennessee-based organization dedicated to breaking barriers and building opportunities for students pursuing college credentials. **Hosted by Krissy DeAlejandro, President & CEO of tnAchieves, this podcast dives into the challenges, solutions, and innovations driving student success and shaping Tennessee’s future workforce. Since 2008, tnAchieves has been reimagining what’s possible for students often seen as underdogs—arming them with the tools, support, and pathways to achieve economic mobility through higher education.
Join us as we sit down with state and national...
2025-04-0704 min
The Education Blueprint with Dr. Jon RysewykCollege 101: Postsecondary Enrollment with Krissy DeAlejandroIn this episode of The Education Blueprint, Knox County Schools Superintendent Dr. Jon Rysewyk sits down with Krissy DeAlejandro, President and CEO of tnAchieves, to talk about what it really takes to get students to and through college. They’ll break down how tnAchieves removes barriers to postsecondary education and how Knox County Schools is shifting the focus from just earning a diploma to preparing students for real success after graduation. From advanced academics to the 865 Academies, college fairs, and campus visits, they’ll explore the key experiences that help students turn their college goals into reality.04:00 - Ho...
2025-04-021h 04
At Scale: The tnAchieves Podcast#FindYourWhyTN Panel Series: Breaking Family CyclesHear from three individuals that represent the first person in their family to attend college. We hope this discussion inspires you to Find Your Why! Learn more about #FindYourWhyTN at tnAchieves.org/findyourwhy.
Get to know each panelist:
Krissy DeAlejandro: https://youtu.be/i1kqxAIROnU
Sumner Deason: https://youtu.be/DdRWFuloxzc
Mike Ragsdale: https://youtu.be/QxcG8ELuep8Support At Scale: The tnAchieves Podcast
2021-02-181h 01
At Scale: The tnAchieves PodcastLeadership with Randy Boyd, Mike Ragsdale and Krissy DeAlejandroBecoming a great leader requires hard work, trying a lot of things and learning from failure. Hear from tnAchieves Board Members Randy Boyd and Mike Ragsdale and Executive Director Krissy DeAlejandro as they discuss what it takes to become a great leader!
This interview is taken from one of our virtual community service webinars. We liked it so much we turned it into a podcast!
2020-04-2051 min
At Scale: The tnAchieves PodcastOn a Mission with Graham Thomas and Krissy DeAlejandroMore than a decade has passed since knoxAchieves was launched from a whiteboard in the Knox County Mayor's office, but Executive Director Krissy DeAlejandro's commitment to student success has not wavered. Since 2008, tnAchieves has grown, innovated and paved pathways for all students, including those that are the first in their families to pursue college. The seventh installment of our podcast dives into the beginnings of tnAchieves, why it was founded and how we have stayed true to our mission. Graham Thomas steals Krissy's mic for an engaging interview!Support At Scale: The tnAchieves Podcast
2020-03-2340 min
At Scale: The tnAchieves PodcastPromise Programs with Dr. Michelle Miller-Adams and Dr. Celeste CarruthersTennessee provides each high school senior the opportunity to earn a post-secondary credential tuition and mandatory-fee free through a first-of-its-kind Promise scholarship. Communities, cities, colleges and even other states have looked to Tennessee for guidance in launching their own Promise programs. Hear from Dr. Michelle Miller-Adams from the Upjohn Institute and Dr. Celeste Carruthers from the University of Tennessee's Boyd Center for Business and Economic Research, as they discuss the growth and impact of Promise programs nationally and the success of Tennessee Promise.Support At Scale: The tnAchieves Podcast
2020-03-0948 min
At Scale: The tnAchieves PodcastThe Power of a Resource with Janice Bettis and John CagleThe fifth episode of the tnAchieves podcast features two longtime mentors, Janice Bettis and John Cagle. Joining us in 2011, Janice and John share what brought them to tnAchieves, what keeps them engaged and how tnAchieves has impacted their communities.Support At Scale: The tnAchieves Podcast
2020-02-2441 min
At Scale: The tnAchieves PodcastA Great Idea with Randy BoydA conversation between Randy Boyd and Knox County Mayor Mike Ragsdale became an idea in 2008. Their idea was a program that would result in more low-income, first-generation students enrolling in college. With Randy's support, Knox Achieves launched with the Class of 2009, became tnAchieves in 2012 and transitioned to its current role as a partnering organization to TN Promise in 2015. Without Randy, tnAchieves would not exist, and his leadership as our chairmen has been transformative. Learn more about Randy's journey, his impact on tnAchieves and his goals for the future on Episode 4.Support At Scale: The tnAchieves Podcast
2020-02-0444 min
At Scale: The tnAchieves PodcastThriving (Surviving?) First Semester with Emma and TimariThe third installment of the tnAchieves Podcast features two current TN Promise students, Timari and Emma, as they discuss the ups and downs of their first semester of college. Timari and Emma share different perspectives and experiences, offering something for every student as they work to thrive as college students. We know the first semester can be the hardest, often feeling more like surviving than thriving. Take a page out of Timari or Emma's playbook and start thriving!
Audio Issue: At 14:49 a technical issue affected Timari's mic; however, her answer was too good not to share! We...
2020-01-2137 min
At Scale: The tnAchieves PodcastCollege Presidents Aren't That Scary with Dr. Anthony WiseThe second episode of the tnAchieves Podcast features Dr. Anthony Wise, President of Pellissippi State Community College. For more than a decade, Pellissippi State has welcomed new programs and been a vital partner to our work. Dr. Wise’s leadership has been invaluable as we try new things and keep what works. Learn about how he started his journey at Pellissippi and his tips on being a successful student on a community college campus! We think you’ll find that college presidents aren’t all that scary.Support At Scale: The tnAchieves Podcast
2019-12-1744 min
At Scale: The tnAchieves PodcastBeing Brave with Ben SterlingOur very first episode welcomes Ben Sterling, a graduate of the first knoxAchieves class and a current member of the tnAchieves team. Navigating the transition as a first generation student, Ben discusses his journey from high school student to college graduate. We uncover the importance of asking questions, advocating for yourself and ultimately facing your fears while braving the college unknown. Hear so many important lessons in this first episode!Support At Scale: The tnAchieves Podcast
2019-11-2026 min