NASHVILLE, Tennessee – The YMCA of Middle Tennessee recently celebrated high school seniors and alumni participants of its Achievers program, announcing $6.2 million in total scholarship support secured for 78 students as the school year draws to a close. Students receiving scholarships were honored during the annual YMCA Achievers Scholarship Celebration held earlier this month. Additionally, thanks to the support of YMCA donors, another $50,000 in financial support was directly awarded to the students to help with other expenses, such as those not covered by scholarships or for equipment and supplies needed as they enter the workforce.
Achievers is one of the community-based outreach programs operated by Y-CAP (YMCA Community Action Programs). Based in east Nashville, Y-CAP programs serve Middle Tennessee students in grades K-12 through literacy tutoring, social and emotional learning programs, and college and career readiness resources—all at no cost. Through the Achievers program, students have the support of a team of advisors to help identify scholarships, vocational, technical and other post-graduate opportunities for the program’s graduating seniors. In Tennessee, the average student to counselor ratio is 403:1 and Achiever advisors help to bridge gaps that students may encounter when seeking guidance counselor support.
“We are very excited about securing $6.2 million for graduating seniors in our Achievers program this year,” said Y-CAP Associate Executive Director Jordan Waller.
“The work of our Achievers Advisors is so critical in helping these young scholars’ complete scholarship applications to access the financial support needed to realize their academic goals,” Waller continued.
The Achievers program specifically helps high school students from different backgrounds explore both college and career pathways, develop positive self-esteem, and make a plan for the future. A total of 208 students participated in the Achievers program for the 2025-2026 school year with 87 of those being graduating seniors who plan to attend college or enter the workforce.
Among the higher education institutions some students plan to attend include the University of Southern California, Belmont, Tennessee State, Cumberland, Fisk, Middle Tennessee State, and Emory Universities.
