Tessa Gonce

I come from the world of education, where I spent almost a decade teaching. I worked as an assistant while in graduate school for 2 years, then taught full-time at the high school level for 6 years, focusing on 9th and 10th grade English, including co-taught English where I partnered with a special education teacher for students with IEPs. At the start of 2026, I made a significant career transition into the nonprofit sector, joining United Way of Greater Kingsport as the Impact and Education Manager. In this role, I serve as the lead liaison for two critical initiatives. First is United We Read, a youth literacy initiative focused on children ages birth to 8 in our area. I provide literacy resources, partner with literacy councils and public libraries, and am piloting a kindergarten readiness program to bolster skills that are lacking prior to third grade, addressing Tennessee's third grade retention law where students not considered proficient at their third grade TCAP testing have the potential to be held back. Second is Avenue, a youth drug education and prevention initiative that we are transitioning into the mental health space, because mental health education is also prevention. We partner with organizations in our area to provide resources on what substance misuse looks like at different ages, what substances are being used, how genetics and childhood adverse experiences factor into why teens are misusing substances, and what we can do to prevent that. This work is deeply personal to me. I grew up in a household with a parent struggling with addiction, and my ACE score is an 8 out of 10. Statistically, the facts tell us that my life could have led to struggles with addiction and mental health, but through education and literacy, and teachers who really poured into me, the trajectory of my life changed. While this is completely different than teaching in a classroom, it still encompasses all of my passions - literacy as prevention, and showing that addiction doesn't always have to define you. Avenue is going to be my passion project.