NATIONAL TRIO ACHIEVERS’ AWARDS€¦ · 2020 NATIONAL TRIO ACHIEVERS 6 A program named after an astronaut is apt, because reaching the exit velocity required to ascend out of the

2020NATIONAL TRIO ACHIEVERS’ AWARDS

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KEITH SHERINGlobal Leaders Program

The Council for Opportunity in Education is committed to ensuring that students from low-income backgrounds, students who are first in their families to attend college, and students with disabilities are afforded the opportunity to attend and succeed in the full range of America’s colleges and universities—and have access to all the various programs and opportunities provided by those colleges.

The proceeds of each annual Educational Opportunity Celebration are used, in part, to support the Keith Sherin Global Leaders Program, which provides opportunities for students from these groups to study abroad and to participate in internships focusing on public policy. The Keith Sherin Global Leaders

Program, established in 2006, is named after Keith Sherin, former Vice Chairman of GE and Chairman and CEO of GE Capital, a long-time advocate of expanded college opportunities for low-income, first-generation students and students with disabilities.

This year we are honoring TRIO Alumni who have been on the front lines, responding to the needs of those most affected by the Coronavirus.

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2020NATIONAL TRIO ACHIEVERS

Antoinette DanversUPWARD BOUND, BRONX COMMUNITY COLLEGEAttending Physician, Montefiore Medical Center

In Jamaica, I had the benefit of having parents who set expectations and had the resources to support my educational development. I entered one of the more academically challenging institutions in my town on the island. At 10 years old, I moved to a rural town to attend Westwood High School. Away from my family, I had to adjust to living with other students, and access to my own family was limited. I learned to be responsible for myself without the oversight of my parents, to resolve conflicts when they arose, and while I missed my family, I understood the bigger purpose. I understood that the struggles I experienced were preparation to create the future I wanted.

At 13, I became an immigrant, adjusting to the new urban environment of the Bronx. My first year challenged my spirit of perseverance. The first school I entered determined that I belonged in a classroom for students with behavioral and learning challenges--but not teachers that were trained to manage those challenges. Most days, we learned nothing. I continued to do my best work under the circumstances and excelled at the state standardized exams. Some administrators at my school began to take some interest in me and introduced me to a Math and Science program that was run by the same team as the Upward Bound program. I have no doubt that participating in the Upward Bound program helped shape my understanding and helped me navigate the college process successfully.

Today, I work as an Obstetrician and Gynecologist, specializing in Complex Family Planning at Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx. During my OB/GYN residency at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, the women we cared for were mostly poor, minority women who also experienced significant morbidity from their pregnancies. The impact of having choice over their futures was crucial. I knew then that I wanted to devote my career to family planning. I realized that the impact I wanted to make was not only being a provider; I wanted to influence how women are able to access services.

As an OB/GYN and a Family Planning Specialist, the essential services we provided could not be stopped, even during the pandemic. I was part of the labor and delivery inpatient team working every two days in the hospital for several weeks as the number of cases peaked in New York City. I stayed healthy but I did not see my family during that time which was the most difficult part of the pandemic. I was also part of the Family Planning team that maintained our outpatient clinical coverage and kept a robust service to keep our patients out of the Emergency room.

Richard PerezEDUCATIONAL TALENT SEARCH, PROJECT STAY, SOUTH SAN HIGH SCHOOLPresident and CEO of the San Antonio Chamber of Commerce

I grew up in San Antonio and received my first taste of business experience at a young age while working at our family’s landscaping company, Fairway Landscape & Nursery, during my middle and high school years. My parents taught me that your duty as a Mexican-American, as an American, and as a human being is to work hard and be honest. I’ve never forgotten that. Even though I had great parents, we never talked about college. My path in life was for me to graduate from high school and help with the family business.

It wasn’t until a Project STAY Talent Search Advisor suggested college that I saw a future beyond the one I expected. At the urging of my father, I pursued a higher education and became the first of my siblings to graduate from college.

2020NATIONAL TRIO ACHIEVERS

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I was recruited in November 2007 to lead the Chamber as its President and CEO. During my tenure, the Chamber has focused on significant issues that impact the business community, including championing the City’s Non-discrimination Ordinance, and securing City Council passage of the Vista Ridge Pipeline Project to ensure a stable water supply for the future. I am the first Hispanic to hold this office and I bring a drive with me that I attribute to my family and my love of San Antonio. I will be the first to tell you that I would not be the success I am today without lessons learned from many of the educators who worked with me throughout my academic career.

I am wholly convinced that I would not have attended Texas State University and graduated in 1990, had it not been for the nurturing Project STAY Talent Search counselor who convinced me that I could attend college and succeed. I am now employed as the CEO of the Greater San Antonio Chamber of Commerce, the largest business organization in San Antonio and am a steadfast supporter of the TRIO Programs for they are a formula for success!

During the COVID crisis many small businesses in San Antonio and many of their employees, have suffered such disruption in their lives. I am honored that the Chamber has been an instrument to bring the business community together as we plan for the future.

Albert Leon VenegasMCNAIR, ST. EDWARD’S UNIVERSITYAssociate Scientist II, AstraZeneca

As a child, I had absolute confidence that I was going to accomplish my goal of becoming a doctor. Coming from a low-income, single-parent household, I was often advised to think of contingency plans because “kids like me do not usually do that kind of stuff.” With the goal of becoming a physician in mind, I majored in Biological Sciences at St. Edward’s University. It was during volunteer experience my freshman year I learned that the medical field was not for me. I found myself directionless and was encouraged by my advisor to look into the McNair Scholars Program. During my two years as a scholar, I was involved in research, and workshops, developed tools that would serve me later in my career, but the most important lesson that I learned was perseverance.

After failing to get admitted to any of the graduate programs I applied to, I thought that this was the end of my journey. All this changed when I received an email from an admissions recruiter from the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC). The recruiter stated that he works closely with my McNair director, Dr. Molly Minus, and on a recent campus visit she spoke a great deal about me. Before I knew it, I began my career as a doctoral student in the Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology Program in Chicago. Graduate school was extremely difficult, especially for a first-generation college student such as myself. There were many times that I felt overwhelmed and that I did not belong. It was during these times that I reflected on the lessons learned as a McNair Scholar and applied them to my thesis work. Those lessons helped me dig deep and motivated me to continue forward.

After finishing my thesis work, I joined the Antibody Development and Protein Engineering (ADPE) department at AstraZeneca. I am in the Immune Replica team where we are focused on developing a platform to generate a new drug to isolate antibody candidates against novel coronavirus within ten days during a pandemic. I firmly believe that I would not be in my position without the resources and support from the McNair Scholars Program.

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Ashley DoukasTALENT SEARCH; MCNAIR POST-BACCALAUREATE ACHIEVEMENT, UNIVERSITY OF NEW HAMPSHIREClinical Psychologist II, Bellevue Hospital

“You’re so smart. It’s too bad you can’t go to college,” my dad sighed, a sad look on his face. There was no money for college. I would soon come to learn that it wasn’t just about money. Well-meaning though they were, my parents, didn’t have any idea of how to help prepare me for college.

In high school, I entered Educational Talent Search (ETS) and my advisor, Carolyn, provided me with critical guidance that I didn’t get anywhere else. With her help, I was accepted to the University of New Hampshire Honors Program. I was encouraged by TRIO mentors to apply for a tutor-counselor position at Upward Bound, and spent the summer before my junior year working as a teaching assistant for classes and providing mentorship, leadership, and individual tutoring to a fantastically bright and funny group of high school students. It was the first meaningful job that I could put on my resume.

Right before my senior year, I was accepted into the McNair Post-baccalaureate Achievement Program. I felt like I had won the lottery. The summer I spent with McNair was among the most memorable of my life. I am certain that without that experience, their guidance, and the financial assistance, I would not have been competitive in graduate school application pools saturated with high pedigree students with stunning CVs. I was accepted to The New School’s clinical psychology program and continued on there, receiving both my MA and PhD in Clinical Psychology. The focus of my work was studying the psychophysiology of complex trauma. In short, understanding how people with a lifetime of traumatic exposure (such as abuse and neglect) experience and manage their emotions. In understanding how people with various mental health concerns process emotional information, we can develop better, more sensitive treatment interventions.

In 2019, I accepted a full-time position at Bellevue Hospital’s World Trade Center Health Program for survivors of the 9/11 attacks, where I provide psychotherapy to survivors with trauma-related disorders and co-morbid medical conditions, such as cancer. My time in both the responder and survivor World Trade Center Health Programs has been humbling and deeply meaningful, fueling my passion to continue helping people thrive in the wake of trauma. As someone who benefited immensely from the mentorship and guidance of others, I feel strongly about carving out time away from therapy and research to give back to students.

I’m a psychologist who provides psychotherapy for 9/11 survivors, many of whom have existing medical and mental health conditions that make them vulnerable to the mental and physical impact of the pandemic. Early in the pandemic, when cases were at their peak in NYC, I participated in outreach efforts to all clinic patients (irrespective of mental health treatment status) to provide emotional support, important health information, and when necessary, assistance with connecting them to resources for food, psychotherapy, and other forms of aid. I also participated in outreach efforts to front-line medical providers, ensuring that they had access to mental health support should they need it. Throughout the pandemic, my main role has been providing ongoing therapy to patients impacted by COVID-19 in a variety of ways: many were experiencing isolation and loneliness, immense fear, financial hardship, and the loss of loved ones. Several of my patients contracted COVID-19, and I called them almost daily to provide telephone support during their hospitalizations. While I certainly can’t claim “frontline status”, as I am fortunate to have a job that can be done remotely, I do believe that I was on the front line of the emotional impact of COVID-19, and will continue to be in the months and years to come.

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A program named after an astronaut is apt, because reaching the exit velocity required to ascend out of the working class requires something akin to jet fuel and a rocket engine. Obtaining my PhD (the first in my family) was of course the result of my own hard work-my “engine”, so to speak. But TRIO programs provided the jet fuel and the map, without which I would certainly not be where I am today.

Marvin R. PendarvisTRIO OPPORTUNITY SCHOLARS (STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES), UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINASouth Carolina State Representative, House District 113, Charleston and Dorchester Counties

I grew up in North Charleston, South Carolina in the Charleston Farms neighborhood. It was a neighborhood that didn’t offer many models of success for young people. Many of the kids there landed in jail, on drugs or in a graveyard. It was a harsh reality for me, and the statistics weren’t on my side. I was the son of a single mom, the only boy of 5 children, and my mom did everything she could to make ends meet. Early on, I realized the importance of education and opportunity in our community and decided to focus on my education, graduating with honors and going off to the University of South Carolina where I was privileged to be part of the TRIO Opportunity Scholars Program. I was a first-generation college student so on the first day of school I was just happy to be there. At the very least I had beaten one statistic. I got very involved in college and graduated from USC with honors. I made a commitment to advocacy which led me to the University of South Carolina School of Law of where I graduated in 2014.

Without hesitation, I returned back to North Charleston where I currently practice law. I understand the importance of maintaining an active and caring presence in the community and in 2017, ran and won a seat in the South Carolina House of Representatives after 20 year incumbent, Seth Whipper, retired to become a local magistrate judge. Since then I have been a fierce advocate for Education, Affordable Housing, and Economic Empowerment.

I share all of that by way of background to highlight how TRIO’s investment in a kid from North Charleston has yielded great return. The ability to have the financial support TRIO offered in addition to its commitment to my development as a college student played a large role in my growth and development in my professional and personal life. I cannot thank TRIO enough for taking a chance on me and I hope that I have made their investment worthwhile. It’s what drives my passion in the Statehouse and will continue to be my guiding post.

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2021 ANNUAL CONFERENCEANNOUNCEMENT

COE’S 40TH ANNUAL CONFERENCESeptember 12-15, 2021

Hyatt Regency Atlanta

Atlanta, GA

S AV E T H E D AT E

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COE’s mission is to achieve college access and success for low-income, first-generation students and students with disabilities.

We believe every young person and adult should have an equal opportunity to prepare for, attend, and graduate from college. Graduation from any category of postsecondary institution should be achievable and must not be limited by economic status, family background or disability.

COE exists to support college access and success professionals and strengthen their ability to serve low-income, first-generation students. This mandate is met by:

• Needed Program Improvement and Development for more than 3,100 college access and success programs nationwide.

• Research and policy analysis through the Pell Institute for the Study of Opportunity in Higher Education to encourage policymakers, educators and the public to improve educational opportunities and outcomes for low-income, first-generation students and students with disabilities.

• Advocacy for federally funded programs critical to college access and success including TRIO, GEAR UP, Pell Grants, and other college access and success programs that assist low-income and first-generation students.

• Professional Development for college access and success professionals — through COE’s annual conference, seminars, video conferences, webinars, and other web-based idea exchanges.

OUR APPROACH

VISION

MISSION

ABOUT COE

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• Through the annual First-Generation College Celebration, expand the visibility of first-generation students on campus and increase institutional responsiveness to their needs;

• Leadership Development for officers of affiliated state associations in conjunction with institutions such as Princeton University, Yale University, and Cornell University;

• Introduce college access and success participants to 21st-century careers--particularly those requiring strong preparation in math and science--and to better prepare them for the workforce;

• Cultivate College access and success program alumni to serve as mentors and role models for current program participants, act as advocates for the programs, and serve as ambassadors to the broader community;

• Introduction of COE’s cloud-based data system--empower--to allow colleges access programs and community partners to analyze student data in real-time to improve student outcomes; and

• Through the annual publication of the Pell Institute’s Indicators of Higher Education Equity in the United States, increase public awareness of disparities in college opportunity for low-income, first-generation students.

College access and retention services are essential to providing true educational opportunity for all Americans, including low-income and first-generation students and students with disabilities. At present, college access and success programs reach only a small fraction of the students and families who could benefit from them. For the past 35+ years, COE has worked to make the following outcomes a reality:

• More than 6 million students have graduated from college with the special assistance of TRIO programs.

• Annually, more than 3,000 access and success professionals received professional development and technical assistance either in-person, virtually, or both.

• Leveraged $1.06 billion to support TRIO programs (up from $156.6 million in 1981).

• Over 800,000 low-income students and students with disabilities receive college access and retention services through our member colleges and agencies each year.

INITIATIVES

OUR OUTCOMES

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BOARDOF DIRECTORS

OFFICERS

BOARD CHAIR

Kyle EthelbahUniversity of UtahSalt Lake City, UT

PAST BOARD CHAIR

Kristian WilesUniversity of WashingtonSeattle, WA

BOARD CHAIR-ELECT

Sari ByerlyIdaho State UniversityPocatello, ID

TREASURER

Leo ConwayPenn State UniversityUniversity Park, PA

SECRETARY

Diana Tapia-WrightState Center Community College DistrictReedley, CA

PARLIAMENTARIAN

Ronnie GrossEast Tennessee State UniversityJohnson City, TN

PRESIDENT

Maureen HoylerCouncil for Opportunity in EducationWashington, DC

MEMBERS

Ron AbelSoutheastern Louisiana UniversityHammond, LA

Angela Archer Chemeketa Community CollegeSalem, OR

Cynthia Ayala-CooperColorado State UniversityFort Collins, CO

Regina Barnett-TylerVirginia State UniversityPetersburg, VA

Sharilyn BrownSouthwestern Oregon Community CollegeCoos Bay, OR

Raymond CabreraUniversity of South FloridaTampa, FL

Bethsaida Colòn DìazAcademia Directores Médicos de PRSan Juan, PR

Aaron CortesNortheastern Illinois UniversityChicago, IL

Stephanie CruzCommunity College of Rhode IslandWarwick, RI

Josh EnglerBoise State UniversityBoise, ID

Fabiola A. Falto CastroAntillean Adventist UniversityMayaguez, PR

Chris GeorgeWestern Kentucky UniversityBowling Green, KY

Angela HolleyMarshall UniversityHuntington, WV

Annette HorvatVermilion Community CollegeEly, MN

John KulaBloomsburg UniversityBloomsburg, PA

Mara LunaUniversity of Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras CampusSan Juan, PR

Rachel LundUtah State University-EasternPrice, UT

Ronda McLellandUniversity of Arkansas Community College-BatesvilleBatesville, AR

Mary MeeksEast Central UniversityAda, OK

Brian PostSUNY-PlattsburghPlattsburgh, NY

Theresa RaderMontana TechButte, MT

Ben ReynosoFresno City CollegeFresno, CA

Tom RowlandMorehead State UniversityMorehead, KY

Rabekah D. StewartMissouri State UniversitySpringfield, MO

Karen TexeiraCUNY John Jay College of Criminal JusticeNew York, NY

Michelle Y. ThomasArizona Western CollegeYuma, AZ

Barbara ThompsonSUNY-Brockport Brockport, NY

Jackasha WileyRutgers, The State University of New Jersey Piscataway, NJ

Kimberly WilliamsNevada State CollegeHenderson, NV

Rick WilliamsNorthern Vermont UniversityLyndonville, VT

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WE THANK THE FOLLOWING FOR THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS ON BEHALF OF COE’S MISSION, WE WOULD ALSO LIKE TO THANK

THIS YEAR’S SPONSORS:

• Ascendium• Comcast NBCUniversal• MasteryPrep• Princeton University

Jonathan McKenzieThe Family-Centered Educational Agency

Joan BeckerUniversity of Massachusetts-Boston

2019–2020 BENEFACTORS(Individuals who gave contributions to COE of $5,000+)

Joy BrittainMary Baldwin College

Margaret CahalanCouncil for Opportunity in Education

Bernard ClayIntrospect Youth Services, Inc.

Samuel HartMiddle Georgia Center for Academic Excellence, Inc.

Oscar HernandezProject Stay, Inc.

Maureen HoylerCouncil for Opportunity in Education

Kimberly JonesCouncil for Opportunity in Education

Thomas MortensonCouncil for Opportunity in Education

Alvin PhillipsCouncil for Opportunity in Education

Rhonda RobinsonSouthern University and A&M College

Jerinae SpeedUniversity of Central Florida

Paul ThayerColorado State University

2019–2020 COE FOUNDERS CIRCLE(Individuals who gave contributions to COE of $2,000-4,999)

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

• Strada Education Network• San Antonio Chamber of Commerce• University of Nevada, Las Vegas

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Cherryl Arnold Georgia State University (Retired)

Earnestine BellPaine College (Retired)

Sari ByerlyIdaho State University Ann ColesUAspire Bethsaida Colòn DìazAcademy of Medical Directors of Puerto Rico, Inc. Kyle EthelbahUniversity of Utah Earl FarrowRutgers, the State University of New Jersey (Retired) Oscar FelixColorado State University

Chris George Western Kentucky University Joseph GivensLouisiana State University Kathleen GreeneKansas State University

Lucy JonesCouncil for Opportunity in Education Ngondi KamatukaUniversity of Kansas Belinda LeeUniversity of Tennessee-Chattanooga Jerry LewisUniversity of Maryland College Park

Karen MaddenNorthern Vermont University

Arnold MitchemCouncil for Opportunity in Education Deborah NorthcrossSAEOPP Center Cynthia Park San Diego State University Theresa RaderMontana Technological University Kenia RodriguezArizona Western College Thomas RowlandMorehead State University

Sureima SantillanState Center Community College District-Reedley Campus Bruce SchelskeUniversity of Minnesota (Retired)

Sharyn SchelskeUniversity of Minnesota (Retired) Randy SchroederUniversity of New Hampshire Diana Tapia-WrightState Center Community College District Charles WhiteUniversity of Tennessee-Knoxville

Kristian WilesUniversity of Washington Linda Williams-CockrellUniversity of Louisiana At Lafayette Camille ZeiglerAtlanta Metropolitan College (Retired)

2019–2020 COE CHAMPIONS(Individuals contributing $1,000-1,999)

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Rodney AdamsTechnical College of the Lowcountry Cynthia Ayala-CooperColorado State University Sharilyn BrownSouthwestern Oregon Community College

Raymond CabreraUniversity of South Florida Raymond CarlisleUniversity of Montana Linda CockrellUniversity of Louisiana At Lafayette

Daniel ConnellMorehead State University Leo ConwayPennsylvania State University Michelle Danvers FoustCUNY-Bronx Community College

Michael DennehyBoston University Diane Dickerson

North Shore Community College

Dawn EckhardtUniversity of North Dakota

2019–2020 COE CO-CHAMPIONS(Individuals who jointly contribute $1,000+)

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Lalla EdwardsCUNY-Bronx Community College Joshua EnglerBoise State University Wendell FabulCouncil for Opportunity in Education Fabiola Falto CastroAntillean Adventist University Ronnie GrossEast Tennessee State University Sheldon HartMiddle Georgia Center for Academic Excellence, Inc. John HernandezCouncil for Opportunity in Education

Holly HexterCouncil for Opportunity in Education

Matthew HydenMorehead State University Karen Keim University of Maine

Mara LunaUniversity of Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras Campus

Jorge Martinez SantiagoFordham University Michael MaxwellGeorgia State University Sherontae Maxwell University of Georgia

Henry McCloud

Mary MeeksEast Central University

David Megquier Gregory MoldenhauerCouncil for Opportunity in Education

Rebecca MorrisonEastern Kentucky University Nicole NorflesCouncil for Opportunity in Education Beth OlivaresUniversity of Rochester Andrea Reeve Colorado State University Michele Scott California State University-Long Beach Sharee St. Louis SmithMorehead State University

Shawn Stokes Bluegrass Community and Technical College Teresa Thompson-PinckneyFayetteville State University Annette TomsCleveland Community College Melissa Towe Middle Tennessee State University Jackasha WileyRutgers, The State University of New Jersey Kimberly WilliamsNevada State College

BENEFACTOR ($5,000+)

Maine Educational Opportunity Association

COE FOUNDERS CIRCLE ($2,000-4,999)

National Educational Opportunity Center Association

COE CHAMPIONS ($1,000-1,999)

WESTOP – California

ASSOCIATION DONATIONS

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