The Call Me MiSTER® (Mentors Instructing Students Toward Effective Role Models) program was founded originally at Clemson University in 2000. Call Me MiSTER is a teacher recruitment and retention program open to ALL aspiring teachers, regardless of race, ethnicity, or gender. Graduates are expected to commit to serving communities facing teacher recruitment and retention challenges for as many years as they received support.
Call Me MiSTER® provides participants, who are entitled "Call Me MiSTER® Scholars," with the tools necessary to succeed as pre-service teachers. With the preparation and support from the Call Me MiSTER® program, students will go on to pursue successful careers in elementary and middle schools in Tennessee.
Call Me MiSTER® serves students at 24 participating colleges within South Carolina and 9 national partner institutions, including the University of Tennessee at Martin, which has the only Call Me MiSTER® Program currently in Tennessee.
Access, affordability and inclusive excellence are central to the University of Tennessee at Martin's mission and are key to the success of UT Martin's Call Me MiSTER® program as the only such initiative in the state. UT Martin's Call Me MiSTER® program will build educational leadership by recruiting and training students to become transformational teachers within the state of Tennessee. Our Call Me MiSTER® Scholars will become Master Teachers who will not only be effective educators but valuable mentors for their students as well.
Call Me MiSTER® Scholars will benefit from:
| 1st Year | 2nd Year | 3rd Year | 4th Year | |
| Tuition | 25% | 35% | 50% | 70% |
| Housing | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% |
Each Call Me MiSTER® Scholar will be issued a computer to use during their freshman and sophomore years. Later, each Call Me MiSTER® Scholar will be issued a new computer to use during their junior year and to keep upon completion of the program.
Each Call Me MiSTER® Scholar will be given the opportunity to apply for the Hope College Scholarship, Harold Connor Scholarship and/or Minority Teaching Scholarship.
Students within the Call Me MiSTER® program are guided by the following vision statement:
I am a dedicated Servant Leader who is perpetuating a sorely needed concept - Servant-Leaders as role models in elementary schools. I am devoted to planting seeds of dignity and respect in children and inspiring them to cultivate those seeds producing a crop of unprecedented success. I will teach reading, writing and arithmetic and progress to self-esteem, imagination, and determination. Because of my immeasurable promise, not only have I earned your respect, I demand it! A title is only important if one’s character and integrity dictate its use. When you address me, please verbalize my destiny ... please do not call me by my first name ... call me in reference to my great vision ... call me MiSTER®!
Applicants must meet the following criteria:
In order to be accepted into the Call Me MiSTER® program, applicants must complete the following:
Please send the items from step 3 to:
Call Me MiSTER® Program Director
The University of Tennessee at Martin
Gooch Hall 240
538 University Street
Martin, Tennessee 38238
Following the submission of the items above, an interview will be scheduled with prospective program participants to ascertain their potential for teaching and their motivations for participation in the program, as well as to provide an opportunity for clarification of any information submitted through the application process.
Once accepted into the Call Me MiSTER® Program, Scholars are expected to adhere to the following expectations:
Each Call Me MiSTER® Scholar is expected to complete his/her program of study, obtain a teacher certification and assume a teaching position in a Tennessee public school. The Call Me MISTER® Scholar will teach at least one year for each year funds were received from Call Me MiSTER® and/or Teach Grant.
The Call Me MISTER® Scholar must:
*Retention in Call Me MiSTER® is dependent upon both academic performance, AND consistent participation in scheduled activities, mandatory events, and outreach initiatives (that do not interfere with classes) while maintaining satisfactory progression toward the fulfillment of Call Me MiSTER’s® overall expectations, goals and mission.
In the event that a Call Me MiSTER® Scholar fails to comply with the preceding stipulations, the following prerogatives will be exercised:
*Infractions resulting in all or partial loss of stipend may be appealed (review CMM Handbook for grievance/appeal procedures. Such infractions include, but are not limited to:
