For Alumni

TRIO programs have empowered an estimated 6 million low-income, first-generation students and students with disabilities to enter and graduate college through financial, social, and academic support services.

TRIO ACHIEVERS

Nominations for the 2023 National TRIO Achievers Awards are open until March 31.

What do an astronaut, award-winning actress, college president, and TV producer have in common? They have all been National TRIO Achievers. The Council looks forward to honoring an equally outstanding group during its 2023 Annual Conference in Washington, D.C. in September. The 2023 call for nominations is now open. Nominate the next Achiever before Friday, March 31.

NOMINATE HERE

FOR THE CLASS OF 2023

As Graduation Season Nears, Be Sure to Plan Your TRIO Celebration

Graduating from high school or college is a significant achievement that deserves recognition and celebration. Your graduating TRIO students have worked hard and dedicated several years to their education, and acknowledging their efforts can be a great source of motivation and pride. We have attached some information on how your program might be able to launch such a celebration, including examples of how other TRIO programs celebrate their students’ academic success and how to use grant funds to purchase NTAA-branded graduation regalia.

SHOP REGALIA

News & Impact

Latest Articles

National TRIO Alumni Association (NTAA)

Upcoming Events

2023 Policy Seminar TRIO Alumni Reception (Tuesday, March 21; Free Reception)

RSVP HERE

Advocate, Engage, and Lead: Alumni, Stewardship, and Recognition (Thursday, May 18; Free Webinar)

REGISTER HERE

TRIO Alumni As Advocates

Here’s how you can get involved

Take action and tell your Member of Congress how TRIO works! The Take Action Now page will allow you to send a message on current TRIO issues in Congress. Use the toolkit below to stay in constant contact with Congress at each point in the appropriations process.

LEARN MORE

FACES OF TRIO

Have you completed your Faces of TRIO profile?

Share your TRIO story via COE’s Faces of TRIO and help COE raise awareness of the effectiveness of TRIO programs. Complete and share our short survey to help us capture more TRIO experiences. These alumni profiles will be shared across social media and on select TRIO Alumni Spotlights.

SHARE YOUR STORY

Tommy Walls

Director, Alumni Relations

Tommy C. Walls, Jr. is a charismatic and innovative leader recently hired as the Director of Alumni Relations for the Council for Opportunity in Education. Walls obtained his BA degree in Social Welfare & Justice and graduated as a TRIO Upward Bound, Student Support Services, and Ronald E. McNair alumnus from Marquette University. Walls then graduated with an MSW (Master of Social Work), concentrating in advocacy, leadership, and social change from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Walls holds more than 13 years of nonprofit management, youth development, executive leadership development, and advocacy for at-risk, first-generation, and low-income students. Before COE, Walls was the executive director of Communities In Schools of High Point-North Carolina, Inc, a drop-out prevention program providing K-12 students and communities with the resources to become equitable and thriving. His perspective is to care for the whole person. He uses organization through an intrinsic lens to motivate others to fulfill their passions with integrity, humility, and poise. His innovative logic and strategies have provided more than 10,000 youth and executive professionals with the insight to become change agents and transformational leaders. Walls enjoys playing basketball, traveling, logic games, and enjoying time with family and friends. Walls is also a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.
Full Bio

Get TRIO Alumni Updates

Our in-person and online community allows TRIO alumni from around the world to connect and stay current with TRIO news and events; join local alumni groups; network with peers; and post, share, or browse career opportunities. Stay connected to receive updates on TRIO alumni networking events in your area, job and mentorship opportunities.

Keep In Touch

National TRIO Alumni Association

Join the online community and network with TRIO alumni from around the world.

TRIO alumni identify primarily with their program and the people that have helped them to become successful. Help us reach our goal of 1,000 alumni and encourage TRIO alumni to join the Alumni Network to reconnect with TRIO peers and meet peers worldwide (the community is exclusive to TRIO alumni).

JOIN THE NETWORK

Resources for Alumni

Get tools to support your involvement in TRIO advocacy, award recognition, or career opportunities.

By providing academic, financial, social, and cultural support, TRIO programs have allowed over 6 million low-income, first-generation students and students with disabilities to enter and graduate from college. TRIO alumni, use this directory to connect with your state and regional liaisons and engage with alumni association activity at the state and regional levels.

DOWNLOAD THE DIRECTORY

Resources for TRIO Programs

In your program, do students see themselves as one day being part of the TRIO alumni community?

To help create a more robust network of TRIO alumni, the Council for Opportunity in Education created this toolkit to help TRIO programs get started in their efforts to organize alumni groups. Programs can use this worksheet to complete their unique alumni engagement plans.

DOWNLOAD THE TOOLKIT

Trio programs

Who is Served

Federal TRIO Programs (Talent Search, Upward Bound, Upward Bound Math/Science, Veterans’ Upward Bound, Student Support Services, Educational Opportunity Centers, and the Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement Program) help students to overcome economic, social, academic, and cultural barriers to higher education.

LEARN MORE

faces of trio

Success Stories

Jonathan Solomon

Talent Search, Case Western Reserve University

Anthony Webster

McNair Scholars, Jackson State University

Melonie Sexton

McNair Scholars, University of Central Florida

John Paul Abenojar

McNair Scholars, San Diego State University

Kevin Wright

Student Support Services, Northern Arizona University

Cristóbal Garcia

Student Support Services, University of Northern Colorado

Jonathan Berenguer

Student Support Services, Lehman College – CUNY

Tracie Sanchez

Upward Bound, Abraham Lincoln High School

Support Us

As a TRIO alumnus, you are a part of a TRIO legacy of success. Your support helps ensure the next 6 million students get the chance to achieve their dreams.

Donate

Partner with Us

As a part of our talented alumni network, there are many ways to get involved with COE and help increase college access and success for over 800,000 students each year.

LET’S CHAT

Join Us

Join COE and the National TRIO Alumni Association to engage, reconnect and network with thousands of alumni to further the success of TRIO graduates and students.

JOIN THE NTAA