Tennessee Students Read More Than 550,000 Minutes in Summer Contest

NASHVILLE – Tennesseans for Student Success (TSS) is excited to congratulate each student who dedicated time to reading this summer in our annual Tristar Reads contest. Participants combined to read more than 550,000 minutes over the summer break, including our overall winner, 6th-grader Wesley Martin from Hamblen County. 

"I really enjoy reading, and it was fun to set a high expectation this summer. It feels good to reach that goal," Martin said. "We decided to do a summer of reading for school, so I read some books for school and some for fun. I tried to wake up early and read most of the day."

Martin and three other students will each take home a $1,000 college scholarship for winning the contest categories listed below:  

• Overall Winner: Wesley Martin, 6th grade Hamblen County homeschooler.
• High School Student: Tallen Haag, 10th grade Robertson County homeschooler.
• Middle School Student: Srinehal Thumu, 8th grade student in Wilson County Schools.
• Elementary School Student: Timothy Bell, Jr., 3rd grade student in Sumner County Schools.

“We're encouraged by the enthusiasm that students showed for reading and the commitment they demonstrated during our contest this summer," said Lana Skelo, TSS President and CEO. "Participants averaged nearly 600 additional minutes reading than last year. Each minute represents a student who's doing their part to avoid the summer slide and enter the new school year with a stronger foundation for success."

Martin and Haag are previous winners in another category, while Bell and Thumu are first-time Tristar Reads winners. All four will receive their checks at an award ceremony in the coming weeks.

TSS created Tristar Reads in 2016 to invite all Tennessee students entering grades K-12 to read for at least 20 minutes each day during the summer. Atmos Energy and Vooks additionally partnered with the contest to provide children with access to hundreds of digital books through a free 1-year subscription. TSS is appreciative of Atmos Energy’s partnership and support to expand reading opportunities and literacy for Tennessee students.