TRIO, a federally-funded program, started in January 2011 which provides academic services and a supportive environment for Meramec students.
Jenny McWeeney
-Staff Writer-
When Erin Seaengel came to the STLCC-Meramec campus last spring to sign up for classes, like many other freshmen, she became overwhelmed and was not sure where to begin. Luckily for her, Seaengel received help from the new counseling program TRIO.
“One of my advisers recommended I join TRIO because they would help with my classes and getting to know the campus and meeting new students, so I was like ‘sure why not, it’s always nice to meet new friends’,” Seaengel said.
TRIO, a federally-funded program, started in January 2011 which provides academic services and a supportive environment for Meramec students. To be in TRIO, students must be a first generation college student (neither mother nor father received a bachelorette degree), limited income (recipients of the PELL grant) or documented disability (usually through the Access office).
Seaengel attended TRIO’s Project Launch Summer Program. For two weeks this summer Seaengel went to college math and English prep courses, did team-bonding activities with fellow TRIO members, and helped out at Circle of Concern.
“The topic over the two weeks was hunger in America, and what a problem it is, that’s why we helped at Circle of Concern. We did vision boards of what we wanted to be successful at and our dreams; we also worked on team-building activities since none of us had met each other before,” Seaengel said.
Project Launch Summer Program helped new students become comfortable with the campus, learn where things are located, and develop a bond with the second- and third-year students that were already involved with TRIO.
“It felt like we become a little family so we are all so open with each other, like, ‘hey I need some help with this, can you help me with this?’” Seaengel said.
TRIO offers many services to their members for free. These services include academic coaching and advising, tutoring, college survival workshops, campus visits to four-year colleges if they wish to transfer, cultural enrichment activities, leadership development and more.
“TRIO helped me become more confident; they showed me to have confidence in my work, even in my tough subjects like math,” Seaengel said.
The grant for TRIO is intended to help around 160 students; a waiting list is anticipated soon. Either way they are still taking applicants and foresee a successful semester ahead of them, with many workshops and cultural events planned.
“The purpose of the grant is to work with students who generally might fall through the cracks,” Melissa Willmore, TRIO student support services adviser, said.
To stay a part of TRIO members must maintain a 2.13 GPA, have check-ins with their adviser multiple times a semester, and attend a few workshops and events for TRIO. The TRIO office is located in Clark Hall, room AD 130.
“I look forward to increasing students’ retention and persistence; ultimately leading to college graduation and/or transfer to a four-year institution, as well as providing a supportive environment that cultivates academic success,” Kimberly Hill, TRIO’s program director, said.
