Virtual TRIO Day celebration
February 16, 2021
The University of Alaska will celebrate TRIO Day on Friday, Feb. 19, from 2:30-4 p.m.,
part of a monthlong effort by universities throughout the country to recognize the
success and determination of students who are low income or first generation, or who
experience a disability.The University of Alaska houses Student Support Services and Upward Bound programs. The event will feature a welcome from University of Alaska interim President Pat Pitney. The virtual event will be from 2-4:30 p.m. and is open to the public. Please register to attend here.
The TRIO programs will honor current students, staff or faculty members who have been an advocate for TRIO students, as well as TRIO alumni that have gone on to do great things in the community.
The UAF Justice Department will be honored with the UAF TRIO Champion Award for their continued support of SSS students, through a partnership that allows for faculty instruction in the Emerging Scholars Academy. SSS also recognizes and applauds their support for the newly awarded SSS STEM grant by granting the program the additional office space needed to serve additional students.
“We are grateful to have tenacious advocates in faculty such as clinical Assistant Professor of Justice Frank Boldt, a fellow first-generation graduate, and his wife, Michelle, who have been consistent contributors to our annual winter break food box outreach to SSS students with limited resources over the holiday closure,” said Victoria Smith, director of UAF SSS.
The UAF Upward Bound program has been in existence since 1966. Currently, UAF UB serves 160 students in 10 target schools in rural Alaska, providing services like tutoring, career exploration, scholarship preparation, cultural activities, and a six-week summer residence opportunity.
“This was a challenging year for our students and staff. I am inspired by the resilience and fortitude that was demonstrated on a daily basis. The students of Upward Bound embody the spirit of a growth mindset and continually find ways to convert setbacks into learning opportunities,” said Adam Low, interim director UAF UB.
“I am honored to celebrate all that TRIO is and continues to be. Our students have faced unprecedented challenges this past year but it has not stopped their dreams of becoming the first in their family to earn a college degree.”
TRIO programs across the nation have been providing valuable supportive services to students from first generation or low-income backgrounds for over 50 years.
The TRIO programs help first-generation, low-income, and those students who may experience a disability overcome social, cultural, and academic barriers to succeed in higher education. By providing direct services and individually focused and intensive programming geared towards helping students navigate the college admissions and financial aid process, TRIO programs assist students in overcoming the obstacles they encounter. Today, an estimated 5 million students have graduated from college with the support and assistance of TRIO programs across the country and 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.
For more information on this event, contact UAF SSS Director Victoria Smith at vrsmith@alaska.edu.