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tnAchieves Summer Institute ends year two with 100 percent student completion

By Chris Caldwell 

tnAchieves’ 2022 Summer Institute students pictured with Tennessee Representative John Gillespie at Southwest’s Whitehaven Center.
tnAchieves’ 2022 Summer Institute students pictured
with Tennessee Representative John Gillespie at
Southwest’s Whitehaven Center.

Giving up your summer fun for class work can be tough, but for 27 dedicated high school students the hard work has paid off. 

These industrious students from area high schools successfully completed tnAchieves’ Summer Institute six-week program, earning nine college credits they will carry with them as they enter a post-secondary institution. Their completion from the program marked the second year in a row tnAchieves scored a 100 percent student success rate. The summer institute ran from May 31-July 8, 2022 at Southwest’s Whitehaven Center. 

Memphis Police Department Chief of Police Cerelyn Davis talks to tnAchieves students about their future careers and how they can serve the Memphis community.
Memphis Police Department Chief of Police Cerelyn
Davis talks to tnAchieves students about their future
careers and how they can serve the Memphis community.

Since 2021, over 50 students have devoted their time to the program that provides an opportunity to earn college credits as well as experience college life for the first time. 

According to Ester Ro-Agnew, lead complete coach for tnAchieves, students who finish the program will enroll in a community college or a four-year university this fall. Four students from the 2022 summer cohort have already enrolled at Southwest. 

Cornelius Smith proposes a question for John Gillespie during his Q&A session with tnAchieves students.
Cornelius Smith proposes a question for John Gillespie
during his Q&A session with tnAchieves students.

After finishing the program, 97 percent of the students said they were academically prepared for college compared to 15 percent at the beginning of the Summer Institute. 

“What I really wanted to learn from the Summer Institute was how classes are scheduled and conducted," said tnAchieves student Cornelius Smith. “The experience gave me a good understanding of how colleges operate, what college life is all about and the type of coursework expected of me.” Smith plans to attend the University of Memphis’ nursing program in fall 2022. 

For more information about tnAchieves and the Summer Institute, visit https://tnachieves.org/summer-programs/institute/. 

Congratulations to all the tnAchieves students!