Tennessee Reconnect gains momentum with information sessions

On days like April 7—cold, rainy with a chance of frozen precipitation—most people would opt to stay inside. Yet, the unseasonable weather did not deter more than 50 people from attending a Tennessee Reconnect information session at Southwest’s Maxine A. Smith, Millington and Whitehaven centers.  Faculty and representatives from admissions and other student services departments were on hand to provide pertinent information about the state of Tennessee’s newest scholarship program aimed at removing financial barriers for adult students.

Lamona McKinley was one those in attendance. She says she is returning to college to advance herself and her career.  “I stopped out to raise my daughter and now that she is more independent, I feel that it’s time to pursue more education, so I am coming back to fill some gaps,” McKinley said.  “The session was definitely informative and exactly what I needed.  All of the speakers were thorough, the advice was great and I am appreciative of the information,” she added. 

Governor Bill Haslam announced April 11 that more than 10,000 adults have applied for Tennessee Reconnect funds since the application portal launched Feb. 15 at tnreconnect.gov.  Southwest is the number one choice for college attendance among the applicants out of the 13 participating community colleges across the state, thanks to Southwest Enrollment Management’s concerted efforts and Southwest employees helping to spread the word.  “I chose Southwest because I am familiar with the college, I feel comfortable here and my mother is a graduate,” McKinley said.

Dr. Anne Mitchell-Hinton, new programs and accreditation coordinator for Southwest and a Reconnect Ambassador, along with a few other Southwest staff, shared information with 300 attendees at the recent YWCA luncheon. “This was a wonderful opportunity to inform these women of the Reconnect program,” Dr. Hinton said.  A YWCA board member, Hinton volunteered at the event to raise money for survivors of domestic abuse. She says sharing Reconnect information with the attendees was particularly gratifying. “Because of their life experiences, they may not have had the opportunity to pursue an education,” Hinton said. “Reconnect is a great program to help these women uplift themselves and better their outlook on life.”

If you would like to join Dr. Hinton and many others as a Southwest Reconnect Ambassador, contact Klaudia Kroboth in the Communications, Marketing and Community Relations department at kikroboth@southwest.tn.edu or (901) 333-4024.