Feb. 24, 2024
In her quest to find the best nursing program, Maddie Elder toured several universities, including the University of Missouri. After a visit to campus, she knew she’d found her home for the next four years.
Elder is now a sophomore nursing major from Farmington, Missouri. She’s also a first-generation student who remembers arriving on campus unsure of what to expect and nervous about finding a place at Mizzou.
TRiO Student Support Services helped guide Elder through her first year and, more importantly, fostered a sense of belonging.
National TRiO Day is February 28, and Mizzou — home to the largest number of student members and one of the longest continuously funded TRiO Student Support Services (SSS) program in the country — is celebrating it throughout the week.
For Elder, TRiO provided instant connections to peers within and outside of her major. She met other first-generation students and bonded over shared experiences.
TRiO offered the support she needed academically, too, as she took advantage of the program’s one-on-one tutoring services. TRiO members have their own lounge area in the Student Success Center, where students often work on homework, connect with their advisors and socialize with peers.
Elder felt so compelled to give back that she and a few peers helped start a student leadership council last spring. The TRiO Student Organization, or TSO, is an advisory council that advocates for student needs and plans activities and fundraising events to help supplement TRiO’s grant funding. Serving in leadership roles has opened doors for Elder, who is currently the group’s secretary, a position that has strengthened her public speaking skills and helped her gain more confidence.
TRiO also helps members learn how to prepare for life after college, which could include graduate school. This year, TRiO will lead a spring break trip to New York City, where participants will explore graduate programs, meet with potential employers and more. TRiO organized a similar education and cultural enrichment trip last year, giving participants an opportunity to visit universities in North Carolina.
Elder, who will join the trip, is excited to learn about graduate school options.
“For me, it was an eye-opener because a lot of first-generation students don’t know that they can apply for graduate school,” Elder said.
Because of the impact TRiO had on her first year, Elder encourages students to consider applying.
“It feels like a small family sometimes,” Elder said.
