Students from Craven Community College (Craven CC) participated in the 2019 National TRIO Day of Service on Saturday, Feb. 23 to express appreciation to the community and raise awareness of the TRIO programs. For millions of students from low-income families who strive to be the first in their families to attend and graduate from college, seven federally funded programs called TRIO are making a world of difference.
Unlike student financial aid programs which help students overcome financial barriers to higher education, TRIO programs have been providing valuable supportive services to students from poor and working families to successfully enter college and graduate for over 50 years. Craven CC received funding to host a TRIO Student Support Services program in 2010. Since then, this program has served about 180 students each year and provides support to help them realize their dreams of graduating with a college education. Student Support Services programs help low-income, first-generation, and/or disabled students to successfully begin and stay in college. Participants receive tutoring, counseling, and remedial instruction in order to achieve their goals of college completion.
On Feb. 21, several members of the TRIO Student Leadership Club visited residents of Bayview Nursing and Rehabilitation Center. Students gave a bag of goodies to each resident, visited with them, and played bingo. Bayview Activities Director Caitlyn Marshall assisted the club in organizing the event.
“Being able to serve the beautiful people of Bayview was truly a blessing and quite an excellent experience,” said Club President De’Siree Clark. “Overall, it was a great day, and the TRIO Student Leadership Club enjoyed serving the very youthful community of Bayview!”
TRIO services include assistance in choosing a college; tutoring; personal and financial counseling; career counseling; assistance in applying to college; workplace and college visits; special instruction in reading, writing, study skills, and mathematics; assistance in applying for financial aid; and academic support. Today, more than 1,000 colleges, universities, and community agencies host more than 2,800 TRIO projects that serve more than 800,000 young people and adults. TRIO serves students of all racial and ethnic backgrounds. Currently, 34% of TRIO students are White, 33% are African American, 21% are Hispanic, 4% are Asian American or Pacific Islander, 4% are American Indian, and 1% are listed as “other,” including multiracial students.
For more information, contact Donna J. Marshall, Craven CC director of TRIO Student Support Services, at 252-638-7249 or marshalldo@cravencc.edu.