All through middle and high school in New Orleans, Geraldlynn Stewart heard the message every day: College was the key to a successful future. It was there on the banners that coated the doors and hallways, advertising far-flung schools, like Princeton University and Grinnell College. And she could hear it in the chants students recited over and over again. This is the way! We start the day! We get the knowledge to go to college!
The summer after ninth grade, Zoey Griffith found herself in an unfamiliar setting: a dorm on the Morehead State University campus. There, she'd spend the months before her sophomore year taking classes in core subjects like math and biology, as well as electives like oil painting. For Griffith, it was an opportunity, but a scary one. "It was a big deal for me to live on campus at the age of 14," she said.
More than 10,000 TRIO alumni have urged Congress to reject budget cuts to programs aiding low-income, first-generation students in college access and completion.