LARAMIE, Wyo. — University of Wyoming students were among a group that recently visited the State Capitol and Gov. Mark Gordon as he signed a proclamation in honor of National TRIO Day.
Sponsored by Wyoming ASPIRE — an organization that promotes access to higher education for first-generation, limited-income and disadvantaged students — the group also received a guided tour of the State Capitol and met with field representatives for Wyoming’s congressional delegation.
TRIO has a long history in Wyoming. This year, the federal TRIO programs are celebrating their 61st anniversary of national programming. Among them is the McNair Scholars Program, an undergraduate research and graduate school preparation program, which has been active at UW since 1992.
Fuji Adachi was a mathematician and the first program director of Student Educational Opportunity, the department at UW that now houses five federal TRIO programs, as well as GEAR UP Wyoming. He is credited with coining the term “first-generation” in 1979 to describe students whose parents did not have college-level education.
Listed by hometown and area of study, here are the UW students who participated in the Cheyenne activities:
Basin: Jeremy Chappell, a senior majoring in environmental systems sciences with a minor in honors.
“McNair has been a valuable step in my academic journey and, thanks to the support I received, I will be starting my master’s degree in the fall,” he says.
Casper: Michaela Eddy, a senior with a triple major in international studies, religious studies and human nutrition and food sciences, with a double minor in Chinese and honors.
“TRIO is a godsend to a Wyoming-raised student like me,” she says. “I have never been afraid of work, but sometimes the bootstraps aren’t strong enough, so TRIO has allowed me to keep working for my family and my community.”
Cheyenne: Jacques De Villiers, a junior majoring in psychology with a minor in disability studies.
“As a student veteran and adult returning to school, my experiences in life have taught me valuable skills in order to succeed,” he says. “McNair has helped me realize my potential and gave me opportunities normally not available.”
Dubois: Gracilynn Ward, a junior majoring in political science with a minor in energy resource management.
“I have experienced financial hardship that changed my university experience,” she says. “TRIO has helped me navigate through scholarship opportunities, navigating campus and overall support.”
Fort Morgan, Colorado: Danielle Moon, a junior majoring in political science with a minor in environment and natural resources.
“TRIO has opened many opportunities for me,” she says. “I have received help navigating campus and my classes being a first-generation student, along with receiving financial aid and support. It has truly been a blessing being a part of TRIO. It has opened many opportunities for me.”
Moorcroft: Janika Baron, a sophomore with a dual major in social work and nursing.
“As a child of an immigrant, I wasn’t blessed with the best or easiest upbringing. The TRIO program(s) provided the community and support I needed to stay in school,” she says. “TRIO is the only reason I am here today. TRIO is why I’m in school, why I kept going and what gave me the strength to become a Marine.”
Waukegan, Illinois: Enjo Salonga, a graduate student in agricultural and applied economics.
“As a first-generation student and graduate, I am blessed to serve students who go through similar experiences through the McNair Scholars Program,” he says.
Worland: Abby Pfeiffer, a senior majoring in sociology with a minor in criminal justice.
“TRIO was the difference between my success and failure as a first-generation Wyoming college student in community college and university,” she says.
Also participating in the Cheyenne activities were Naomi Leigh, Bekah Loftus, Haley McKain and Roman Zuniga, Student Success Services project coordinators; Christina Millemon, director of the TRIO Educational Opportunity Center; Isaiah Tafoya, Educational Opportunity Center project coordinator for southeast Wyoming; and Jenna Krieschel, director of the TRIO McNair Scholars Program.
