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TRIO talent search affiliates and Director Erica Frey were present for Southwestern Community College regular board meeting Tuesday. TRIO Talent Search is a program providing a safe, welcoming environment for participants to dream big and explore their future potential. TRIO promotes students to enroll and graduate from an institution of higher learning.
“We work with students to make sure we get them to college and then through college,” said Frey.
TRIO talent search presented their continued services to Union County and surrounding counties in effort to help and afford students resources associated to securing a higher level of education.
“Numbers ran for our federal report, we have 120 total number of seniors, of those 120 seniors, 50 of them were both first generation college students to graduate and low income students,” said Frey.
The TRIO program was federally funded by, grant of $438,253 in 2021which will cover costs of the TRIO program for five years. In 2026 they will reapply for the federal grant to continue with the TRIO programs.
“We follow the students for six years after high school graduation,” said Frey.
Students from the 2014-2015 graduating seniors that high school academic year, 71% of those students graduated within six years with a higher level of education accomplished. In retrospect, only 47% of students in Iowa graduate in six years.
“Our numbers are way up there,” said Frey.
Personal testimony’s were shared with the SWCC Board of Directors, from former students associated with TRIO program, some even dedicating there time in further capacity to help and work for the TRIO Talent Search program.
Taylor Eaglen, joined ETS in 2013 while attending East Union Schools, she was a first generation to graduate college. She graduated in 2020 with her masters at Northwest Missouri State University with ETS program accomplishments and returned to SWCC working for TRIO as Tutor Coordinator for a couple years.
“TRIO takes away all the barriers for the students who’s parents might not have gone to college,” said Frey,
TRIO talent search program events include, but are not limited to:
- ACT Boot Camps and fee waivers
- college campus visits
- FASFA completion events
“I tell my students that I am just as proud of their accomplishments as I am my own kids accomplishments,” said Frey.
In other SWCC board meeting news, approved to keep dorm rates and deposit the same for the 22-23 academic year.
Approved the resignation of Randy Huewe from the Education Foundation Board and appointed Steven Crittenden for remainder of Huewe’s term.
Approved employment of Salina Chesnut as education instructor for 2022-23 academic school year, approved director of plant services, Tom King for early retirement effective April 22.