Transforming Postsecondary Success in Rural Northeast Tennessee

Every student deserves the opportunity to discover a future filled with possibility. Yet for many students in rural Northeast Tennessee, navigating the path from high school to college, technical education, military service, or the workforce can be overwhelming without personalized guidance and support.

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Recognizing this need, the Niswonger Foundation launched NiswongerCARE (College Access Reaches Everyone) in 2015 to ensure that every student—regardless of background or circumstance—has access to individualized college and career advising. What began as a college access initiative has grown into a comprehensive postsecondary success program serving 24 rural high schools across Northeast Tennessee.

At the heart of NiswongerCARE is a relationship-driven advising model. Our Near-Peer Advisors work alongside students throughout high school, helping them explore careers, discover educational opportunities, navigate financial aid, complete college and technical education applications, and develop a plan for life after graduation. By building trusted relationships with students, families, school counselors, administrators, and community partners, our Advisors help remove barriers and empower students to make informed decisions about their futures.

As the needs of students have evolved, so has NiswongerCARE. We recognize that helping students enroll in a postsecondary program is only the beginning. Today's students need support throughout their transition and beyond.

To address these challenges, NiswongerCARE expanded its continuum of services with innovative initiatives such as BigBrightFuture, which provides personalized summer transition support to reduce "summer melt," and NiswongerSTART, a college success mentoring program that supports students during their critical first year at community college. Together, these initiatives reflect our commitment to helping students not only access postsecondary opportunities but persist, complete their education, and launch meaningful careers.

More than a decade after its founding, NiswongerCARE continues to transform lives by strengthening the college-going and career-ready culture throughout Northeast Tennessee. Through data-informed practices, collaborative partnerships, and a steadfast belief in the potential of every student, we are helping build a stronger workforce, stronger communities, and brighter futures for generations to come.

Our story is ultimately about students—their aspirations, their resilience, and the opportunities that become possible when someone believes in them and walks alongside them every step of the way.