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Since ��ɫӰ�� was awarded a grant from the U.S. Department of Education to establish a TRIO Student Support Services (SSS) program in 2020, the academic advising program has served around 140 first-generation college students, students with financial need, and students with disabilities in the College for Women each year. TRIO provides accepted students, who remain with the program until graduation, with opportunities to meet with a success coach, register for classes early, and take part in workshops and events designed to prepare them for success at St. Kate’s — and after.

Over spring break, a group of TRIO students traveled to visit graduate schools at Loyola University Chicago and Marquette University in Milwaukee. The trip was planned to give students a chance to see graduate schools in other cities. TRIO student Mumtaz Ahmed ’24, a public health major with a concentration in health sciences, was excited to visit the physician assistant programs.

“It’s a great opportunity to go on a tour,” said Ahmed. “Otherwise, it wouldn't have been easy for me to go.”

Ahmed has been with TRIO since the program launched at St. Kate’s, and she says having a success coach has been instrumental in moving toward her goals.

“[My advisor] helped me find two classes that were prerequisites for organic chemistry,” Ahmed said. Without that help, she said, she “would not have reached [her] goal of graduating a year early.”

Supporting students from the classroom to the stage

TRIO’s support of students doesn’t stop with academics. In April, a group of TRIO students will take a field trip to see TRIO student Melody Her ’24 star in the Theater Mu play Again. Her is a double major in political science and economics, but her longtime interest in theater led her to audition for the play with Theater Mu, the largest Asian American theater in the Midwest.

“I took a break from performing and theater, because I was pursuing a more traditional degree, and because I was dealing with [my] mental health coming out of the pandemic, so it was hard for me to perform,” Her said. “But [my TRIO coach] was a big advocate for my mental health, getting me to set my accommodations, helping me to contact my professors, and supporting me in advocating for myself.”

Her was drawn to Theater Mu’s focus on social justice and amplifying Asian American stories, and with support of TRIO staff, she was ready to jump back into acting. 

“TRIO has been behind it ever since, just cheering me on,” Her said. “Even though I haven’t even talked to all the advisors, they have been reaching out to me, or I’ve had contact with them in some way. They’re a small department, but they really, really try to reach out to those students.” 

Preparing for life beyond St. Kate’s

Isela Cereso Mendiola ’23, a social work major, is a TRIO student who graduates this spring. Through her time as a TRIO student worker, Cereso Mendiola has gained experience with advocacy for access to education, a path she is interested in exploring further in the future. As a student worker, she helps put together a weekly newsletter with resources for TRIO students and plans monthly social events. She points to the community that TRIO develops as one of the most valuable parts of the program. 

“TRIO staff are passionate about our success and making sure that we are reaching our goals,” Cereso Mendiola said. “I recommend students who are eligible join the program. I think it’s very helpful to have a different avenue of community and a support system throughout your college experience.”

This will be the second year that TRIO graduates a group of seniors. In celebration, the program is planning a dinner on April 25 that will double as a chance for students to honor the graduates — a group of about 40 — and practice professional skills. Prior to the dinner, TRIO will bring in etiquette coach Juliette Mitchell, who will instruct students on the proper etiquette for business dinners and other professional situations. Then, students will put their knowledge into practice with a dinner and celebration. 

Though the program is still relatively new to St. Kate’s, Mainong Yang, director of TRIO, has seen first-hand the impact that TRIO has had on students. 

“The students really take [a lot] away from the one-on-one, more frequent meetings,” Yang said. “They enjoy having someone to hear their frustrations and hear their life goals. I’ve seen a lot of seniors who have come back and they’ve been successful by themselves, but they say, ‘Without TRIO, I wouldn’t be able to do what I’m doing now.’”