KNOWLEDGE SHARING
TRiO Student Support Services (SSS) was one of the many presenters at the third annual Teach-In held on
January 21, 2016. The Teach- In focused on power structures and privilege and how to combat the two on
Grand Valley State University campus. The event was composed of interactive workshops and discussions
and took place all day. TRiO SSS presented on “Navigating the Unknown: First Generation College
Student Success” and included a discussion panel.
Within this presentation the panelist educated students,
faculty, staff and community members of the impact our
services have on retaining First Generation students. Some of
the topics addressed were types of TRiO programs, common
problems First Generation students’ experience, students
experiences in our program, TRiO SSS main components,
building cultural capital for our students, the annual
performance report and concluded with actions the campus
can take to support this population of students on campus.
Along with presenting at the third annual Teach- In TRiO SSS
had the opportunity to present at Michigan College Access
Programs & Personnel Association (MI- CAPP) conference
held in Lansing, Michigan. Director MarcQus Wright and
Program Advisor Ariel Arnold presented on “Leading the
Field: Creating Your Own Brand”. In this presentation students
learned what it takes to create their own personal brand; in
person, on paper, and online. Along with discussing ways to
develop short and long term plans to achieving professional
goals.
MarcQus Wright and undergraduate students Craig Cotton,
and Terrance Shorter presented on “Fostering Black Male
Student Success”, effective programming strategies and goals
for Black male student success were addressed and two
programs designed to enhance the Black male experience at
GVSU to implement a culture of success.
At this year’s MI-CAPP conference Jesenia Rincones was
awarded a scholarship for her academic achievements.
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