U of A Students in TRIO SSS Program Visit Graduate Schools in Washington, D.C.

Seventeen U of A TRIO SSS students traveled to Washington, D.C., in July to visit the graduate schools at Georgetown and Howard universities. The attendees ranged from rising sophomores to recent graduates and represented a wide variety of academic colleges and degrees. They had the opportunity to learn about graduate programs in the fields of psychology, economics, education, political science, international studies and more, as well as to explore the expansive history, art and culture offered by the city. 

Student Support Services is one of eight federally funded programs designed to serve first-generation college students, students with demonstrated financial need and students with disabilities and to support these student populations from middle school to postbaccalaureate education. The goal of TRIO SSS is to enhance the experiences and retention of students by providing specialized academic advising and tutoring, individualized personal and professional development opportunities, and increased access to graduate school information and application. 

Students who traveled to D.C. this summer visited two prestigious institutions for tours and informational sessions: Georgetown and Howard University.

One participant, Arlene Loaeza, said that she "enjoyed learning about the different types of graduate programs Howard and Georgetown have to offer," and senior accounting major Tanisha Najera Velazco said that "being able to tour the universities allowed her to expand her graduate school selections."

Georgetown was founded in 1789 and is now the nation's oldest Catholic and Jesuit university, while Howard is a historically Black university founded in 1867. The historical significance of both schools offered students a chance to expand their educational horizons.

After returning, America Cervantes, a computer science student, noted that the trip caused her to "think about all of the options" in regard to continuing her education, and that she now has a "much better understanding" of what she wants out of a graduate program. These reflections highlight TRIO SSS's aim to expand students' interest in and admission to postgraduate education, 

Along with the graduate school tours, student attendees spent these four days traversing through national and international history, art and culture. Various museums in the Smithsonian Institution, presidential memorials and national monuments, and a dinner dance cruise down the Potomac River made up the itinerary of this educational journey, and many students expressed excitement and gratitude for their experiences.

Dequanta Clark said that his favorite part of the trip was "when we went to the White House" for a photo-op, while Joshua King said that "the most memorable part of the trip was the visit to Capitol Hill." Many also connected their academic ambitions with their D.C. adventure. 

Jennifer Miller most enjoyed relating her interdisciplinary studies to "the Holocaust Musuem, the African American Museum of History and Culture, and the National Archives," and Loaeza's international business major was complemented with a "deepened understanding of global markets and cultures."

While the participant group exemplified a myriad of majors and backgrounds, they all supplemented their experience with academic and personal connections. 

Upon returning, the student participants reflected on which parts of the trip were new experiences for them. Several attendees noted that this was their first time traveling by airplane, and even more said it was their first time in Washington.

One student, Daniella Fernandez, summarized a common sentiment when she said that she "had never visited Washington, D.C., before, so it was really cool to see all the monuments in real life." Numerous student reflections focused on the impact of seeing landmarks, artworks and museum exhibits in person that they had previously only seen on television and in textbooks, and well as the impact of seeing their identities and lived experiences represented in those artworks and exhibits. King also encapsulated a powerful reflection among the student group by stating that the "whole trip was very eye-opening" and that it gave him "the drive to keep moving towards his goals." 

This visit to the nation's capital and participants' reflections on it are representative of TRIO SSS' central mission to enhance the student experience through academic, professional and cultural enrichment. The gratitude, personal growth and postbaccalaureate expansion demonstrated by the trip's attendees are what the program seeks to provide for all participating students.

If you would like additional information about TRIO SSS at the U of A, please visit sss.uark.edu, and if you are interested in learning more about the Federal TRIO Programs, visit coenet.org.