UNG hosted high school students and TRIO professionals Feb. 25 for Georgia's National TRIO Day celebration at UNG's Dahlonega Campus.
Article By: Clark Leonard
The University of North Georgia (UNG) hosted Georgia's National TRIO Day celebration Feb. 25 at UNG's Dahlonega Campus, welcoming almost 300 high school students and TRIO professionals. UNG's TRIO programs include the McNair Scholars Program, Upward Bound and Educational Talent Search Program.
The TRIO programs are federal outreach and student services programs designed to identify and provide services for individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds. TRIO includes eight programs targeted to serve and assist low-income individuals, first-generation college students, and individuals with disabilities to progress through the academic pipeline from middle school to post-baccalaureate programs.
The day included video messages from U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock and Gabby Watts, senior director of student services for the U.S. Department of Education. It also featured a panel of five TRIO students sharing their college experiences. An Aztec dance, Mexican ballet, a Black History Month presentation, and a demonstration by the Blue Ridge Rifles, a cadet specialty unit, rounded out the day's events.
"What I appreciated most about TRIO Day was the institutional support. So many departments, from Multicultural Student Affairs to Regional Campus Administration to Cadet Admissions, stepped in to support potential first-generation, low-income college students on this day of advocacy," Dr. Latrice Richardson, UNG director of TRIO-Pre-College Access Grant Programs, said. "Our guests could really feel a sense of community and appreciate the diversity represented on campus. Hosting National TRIO Day at UNG was a first for us, and we look forward to welcoming our colleagues and their students back to campus in the future."
Our guests could really feel a sense of community and appreciate the diversity represented on campus. Hosting National TRIO Day at UNG was a first for us, and we look forward to welcoming our colleagues and their students back to campus in the future.
Dr. Latrice Richardson
UNG director of TRIO-Pre-College Access Grant Programs
The McNair Program is designed to prepare sophomores, juniors and seniors from all UNG campuses for post-graduate studies through involvement in research and scholarly activities. Participants are either first-generation college students with financial needs or members of a group traditionally underrepresented in graduate education who have shown strong academic potential.
UNG's Upward Bound program seeks to help underrepresented and underserved students prepare for, enroll, and graduate from institutions of higher learning. It serves students at Gilmer High School and Johnson High School.
Educational Talent Search has the same goals as Upward Bound and serves middle and high school students in the Gainesville City School System.
"The TRIO program has been a springboard to unlimited success for so many underserved but deserving students," Dr. Steven Smith, UNG's vice president of regional campuses, said. "The program continues to provide pathways for those who seek to shift their paradigms to more positive directions."
Ayodeji Ogunleye, a freshman from Lovejoy High School, said TRIO Day was eye-opening.
"The most important part of the event was when the five people who did TRIO programs in their past talked on stage," Ogunleye said. "They showed me that there are a lot of opportunities out there in this world. It doesn't matter your background or age. There's always hope to make it in life."
On Feb. 24, 1986, a congressional resolution declared that Feb. 28, 1986, should be designated as "National TRIO Day" to commemorate the annual achievements of the federal TRIO programs in communities across the country. Every year since then, the fourth Saturday in February has been marked as National TRIO Day.
