It has become increasingly clear that a strong sense of belonging helps to promote success in college. With this in mind, the TRIO Student Support Services Program at Farmingdale State College aims to build community in many unique ways. One of the most beautiful aspects of TRIO is how diverse its student population is. TRIO is proud to assist first-generation college students, students with financial need, as well as students with disabilities. The goal of the program is to help ensure participants thrive in school, complete their bachelor’s degrees, and be prepared for life after college.
TRIO recently hosted a “Kickoff” event in September to boost programmatic pride, present networking opportunities, and recognize student accomplishments. For example, 70% of TRIO members earned a 3.0 GPA or greater in Spring 2021. Among these students, 10% earned a perfect 4.0 semester GPA.
TRIO’s September event had a healthy turnout and participants were able to join breakout discussions to gain insights to their respective majors. Students shared advice on time management, course planning, how to secure career and internship opportunities, as well as ways to maximize study skills.
Providing students opportunities such as these has proven to be very effective. Why? TRIO members are able to experience that they are not alone. They share common struggles, have similar aspirations, feel empowered to motivate each other, and have a space to be their true selves and meet their full potential. In other words, TRIO students belong.
Looking ahead, TRIO is enthusiastic to help facilitate the campus’ First-Generation College Student Celebration beginning on November 8, 2021!
Learn how you can get involved with TRIO here: https://www.farmingdale.edu/asap/trio/services.shtml. More info on Farmingdale State College’s First-Generation College Student Celebration can be found here: https://www.farmingdale.edu/events/2021/2021-10-07-first-gen-event.shtml.
