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TRIO Future Leaders Summit Ignites Passion and Purpose in First-Generation Students Nationwide

July 24, 2025 — by Terrance L. Hamm

As TRIO programs face mounting political threats, the stories and strength displayed at the Future Leaders Summit are a timely reminder: investment in potential pays dividends for generations. Or, in the words of Susie Odin, wiping away tears on the Capitol steps: “TRIO rocks. TRIO works. And we’re here to prove it.”

In a week that blended policy immersion, leadership development, and the power of personal testimony, the Council for Opportunity in Education (COE) hosted its first-ever TRIO Future Leaders Summit (TFLS), an initiative that brought 30 TRIO students from across the United States and its territories to the nation’s capital from April 13–17. The goal: prepare students from low-income and first-generation backgrounds for future leadership roles in public service, advocacy, and beyond.

Held in partnership with American University and featuring support from TIAA and Capitol Hill offices, the summit offered participants five days of hands-on training, career exploration, and real-time engagement with policymakers. From networking with TRIO alumni and government professionals to presenting case studies on education and economic opportunity, these students demonstrated the bold, informed leadership our future demands.

Angela Thomas, a TRIO Student Support Services participant at the Technical College of the Lowcountry in South Carolina, described the experience as “something I couldn’t have imagined.” Raised by her grandmother and once a teen parent who dropped out of high school, Angela defied every expectation. “To be here, in D.C., advocating and learning at this level—it’s a dream,” she said. “I thought getting my bachelor’s would be the end of my journey. But now? I want a Ph.D.”

Her path to Washington wasn’t easy. After an eight-year absence from her family’s life due to personal challenges, Angela returned determined to rebuild—and reimagine—her future. “My kids inspired me to go to college, and TRIO inspired me to stay. They’ve given me more than support—they’ve helped me dream again.”

Throughout the week, participants explored the intersections of personal experience and public policy. At TIAA headquarters, a fireside chat with David Nason and sessions on financial empowerment planted seeds of fiscal responsibility. One student, Paul Teeter of Shepherd University in West Virginia, left with one takeaway etched in his mind: “Get a Roth IRA the moment you get a job,” he laughed. “I learned so much I didn’t expect.”

But for Paul, a business and political communication major who also serves as Student Government President, the Summit meant more than financial advice. “TRIO helped me figure out my goals after college,” he said. “They guided me in mapping out my future—and gave me the confidence to lead.”

The highlight for many was Capitol Hill Day, where students met with Members of Congress to share their stories and advocate for continued investment in TRIO. For Susie Odin of Weatherford College in Texas, it was an emotional culmination of a journey marked by resilience. Once incarcerated and uncertain about her future, Susie found strength in TRIO’s mentorship and resources. “They talked me off the ledge—literally and figuratively—when I felt I couldn’t keep going,” she said. “I wouldn’t be here without them.”

Now a graduating Human Services major working with parolees and probationers, Susie left the summit with a new sense of possibility. “I thought I wanted a bachelor’s and master’s in social work. But after this week? I’m thinking bigger. I want to advocate. I want to be in the rooms where decisions are made.”

No voice captured the full spectrum of TFLS’s transformative power quite like Danny K. Silva of Mt. San Antonio College in California. A first-generation student, Native American, parent, and formerly incarcerated leader, Danny walked the Summit halls not just with a stack of academic credentials—but with clarity of mission.

“Some bureaucrat isn’t going to convince me TRIO doesn’t work,” Danny declared. “We are the living results of this investment.”

Danny, who served as student body president and co-authored governance policies on campus, spoke with conviction about the ripple effect of support. “Say people’s names when they’re not in the room. Bring them into opportunities. TRIO did that for me, and now I want to do that for others.”

From case study competitions to graduate school fairs and powerful conversations with alumni, the Summit proved that leadership isn’t born—it’s cultivated. Students left with tools, networks, and renewed vision for what they can achieve.

“This is not the end. It’s the beginning,” said COE President Kimberly Jones during the closing dinner. “These students are the future of advocacy, education, and equity. And we’re just getting started.”

As TRIO programs face mounting political threats, the stories and strength displayed at the Future Leaders Summit are a timely reminder: investment in potential pays dividends for generations.

Or, in the words of Susie Odin, wiping away tears on the Capitol steps: “TRIO rocks. TRIO works. And we’re here to prove it.”

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