Her Story
About Cheyenne
Cheyenne Meranda serves as Assistant Training Director for the Tennessee District Attorneys General Conference, the statewide body supporting elected district attorneys and their staff. Alongside the Training Director, she helps plan and deliver continuing legal education across the state, including specialized programming on trial advocacy and emerging legal trends, and she supports a new prosecutor course designed to help incoming attorneys meet licensure requirements while building practical skills. She works as part of a seven-person training team and previously spent time in the office's DUI Training Unit, where she helped state traffic safety resource prosecutors develop and deliver instruction to law enforcement and prosecutors at the city, county, and state levels.
Before entering legal education, Meranda spent several years teaching in public schools across two states. She taught at a Title I school in Beaufort, South Carolina, where she pursued extensive professional development to strengthen her classroom practice, and later taught in Rutherford County, Tennessee, where she built original curriculum, mentored newer teachers, and served as head varsity volleyball coach. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in History and Secondary Education from the College of Charleston and maintains teaching licensure in Tennessee, with prior licensure in South Carolina. She has also been a longtime contributor to the National FFA Organization.
Meranda credits much of her professional success to a persistence instilled by her grandparents, and she brings that same determination into her advocacy for women in the legal field, encouraging them to speak up and project confidence in male-dominated spaces. In recognition of her work, she was selected to be featured in Influential Woman for 2026, representing Chapel Hill, Tennessee. Looking ahead, she plans to pursue a law degree and will attend a leadership course through the National District Attorneys Association, continuing a career grounded in mentorship, practical training, and a commitment to showing up for the people she serves.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Cheyenne
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to persistence. My grandparents instilled in me a mindset of never giving up, and that has carried me through every stage of my career.
02What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I would tell young women not to let the fact that they may walk into a room full of men distract them from why they're there. As a woman in a male-dominated industry, know that you are valuable and that you belong. You are there for a reason, so build your confidence, be vocal, and share your ideas — people will take you seriously.
03What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The legal field remains largely male-dominated, and prosecutors carry demanding workloads that contribute to high turnover among younger attorneys. I see real opportunity in recruiting and supporting more women in this space, as well as in strengthening practical training and mentorship for new prosecutors as they enter the field.
04What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Showing up for others is central to who I am, both professionally and personally. I place great importance on making genuine connections with the people around me so they know they haven't been forgotten, and I carry a persistent, never-give-up mindset into everything I do.
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