Emma McCallie ’13

While at GPS, Emma McCallie developed an interest in government and public service when she attended Volunteer Girls State and was elected to Girls Nation. She followed those passions to the University of Virginia, where she majored in American government and minored in education policy, and had internships with then-Chattanooga Mayor Andy Berke, the Chattanooga Public Education Foundation, and First Lady Michelle Obama. Post-grad, Emma moved to Nashville to work for Teach for America. She then returned to politics as a member of the press team on a presidential campaign before joining the Tennessee Department of Education to work for Penny Schwinn in 2020. Her roles have included Special Assistant to the Commissioner, Director of National Strategy, and now Senior Director of Grow Your Own, where she leads one of the agency’s five strategic priorities, a $25M portfolio designed to eliminate the teacher shortage, remove barriers to entry, increase diverse candidates in the field, and reimagine teacher preparation. She has presented to the White House, US Department of Labor, US Department of Education, US Department of Commerce, and National Security Council, among others. Emma’s work with Grow Your Own even brought First Lady Jill Biden and Secretary Miguel Cardona to Tennessee to recognize the work as a national model. In addition to her governmental role, Emma is working on a new venture, Folx Table, the first “Sit Down Social Network.” Folx Table events occur monthly in Nashville with leading restaurants and culinary partners to offer strangers, soon-to-be friends, guaranteed connection and meaningful conversation.