A Personal story: Virginia Hughes
Virginia Hughes is a first generation student from Blount County, Tennessee and was one of the first tnAchieves (the precursor and model for TN Promise) students. She graduated high school in 2011 and
Virginia Hughes, participant in tnAchieves with her mentor, Laura
received an Associate of Science in Anthropology at Pellissippi State Community College. She then transferred to the University of Tennessee where earned a Bachelor’s degree in Anthropology.
“I had always dreamed of going to college and studying anthropology. The closer I got to my senior year the more I realized this was a dream that I would not likely see come true. My senior year I came to the conclusion that like many people in my high school I would find a minimum wage job and hope to find a break somewhere in the workforce to make a living for the rest of my life.
Luckily I had a guidance counselor who told me about TN Achieves, and that was the turning point in my life. Suddenly my dream seemed reachable. TN Achieves has impacted my college experience by giving me the opportunity to be able to afford college, as well as give me the encouragement through the mentor and staff support that gave me inspiration that I could accomplish gaining a college degree.
Without TN Achieves and my mentor through the program Laura Harrill I would never have accomplished gaining my Associates Degree, being in the college honor society, and then continuing on to the University of Tennessee where I achieved my lifelong dream of being a college graduate with a bachelor’s in Anthropology. I feel that TN Achieves gives the opportunity of not only college but achieving dreams that most people from my community could only dream of. Gaining a college degree has greatly impacted my life for the better and I only hope that everyone could achieve a college degree and all the opportunities that become available with it.”
“tnAchieves gave me not only the financial support but also the personal support to achieve my dreams. Without the program I would never be where I am today.”
