News & Impact/press release/

The Council for Opportunity in Education Announces 2025 National TRIO Achiever Award Recipients

July 10, 2025 — by Terrance L. Hamm

These five outstanding alumni of the Federal TRIO Programs will be celebrated at the Council’s Educational Opportunity Dinner on Tuesday, September 9, in Chicago.

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The Council for Opportunity in Education (COE) is proud to announce the 2025 National TRIO Achiever Award recipients, honoring five distinguished Federal TRIO Programs (TRIO) alumni whose extraordinary lives exemplify the impact of educational opportunity.

This prestigious award recognizes alumni of the Federal TRIO Programs—namely, Upward Bound, Upward Bound Math-Science, Talent Search, Student Support Services, Ronald E. McNair Postbaccalaureate Achievement, Educational Opportunity Centers, and Veterans Upward Bound—who have overcome adversity to achieve remarkable success and significantly contribute to their professions and communities. The honorees will be recognized during COE’s 2025 Educational Opportunity Dinner in Chicago on Tuesday, September 9.

“The 2025 National TRIO Achievers remind us why TRIO programs are not just necessary but transformational,” said COE President Kimberly Jones. “These exemplary leaders embody resilience, purpose, and commitment to giving back. They represent what’s possible when we give students from low-income and first-generation backgrounds a real opportunity to thrive.”

This year’s honorees include:

  • Beverly Black’s early experience with TRIO Talent Search at Southern University of New Orleans and Student Support Services at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette instilled in her the confidence and tools to pursue higher education. A program manager for B2B Technology Engagement at Delta Air Lines, she has since become a national advocate for TRIO, founding alumni groups, establishing scholarships, and leading major initiatives within corporate and nonprofit sectors that serve historically marginalized communities.
  • Frankie Cordero, who, through TRIO Student Support Services at the University of Connecticut, received vital academic and personal support that helped him persevere after a near-fatal accident in college. A puppeteer, director, and writer, he earned a BFA in Puppetry. He became a leading voice in children’s media, best known for his work on “Sesame Street,” bringing all-encompassing storytelling to public television and mentoring the next generation of artists.
  • Natalia Giraldo-Santiago, PhD, LCSW, overcame early academic and emotional challenges through the critical academic support and mentoring provided by the TRIO Upward Bound program at the University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras. As a postdoctoral research fellow at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital, she has become a trailblazing researcher in health justice and mental health, securing NIH funding and mentoring the next generation of scholars in medicine and psychiatry.
  • Richard LaDouceur, PhD, who serves as associate professor and interim department head of mechanical engineering at Montana Technological University, credits the TRIO Upward Bound program at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, with preparing him for college and planting the seed of belief that he could succeed. After an initial setback in higher education, he returned to school, earned a Doctorate, and now leads impactful research while mentoring TRIO students and expanding STEM opportunities in his community.
  • Leticia Silva, who credits the TRIO Upward Bound program at St. Olaf College with preparing her to persevere as a first-generation college student and young mother. She graduated from the University of Minnesota and rose through the ranks of the Minnesota Twins organization, now serving as the senior vice president of human resources.

These honorees join a distinguished list of past National TRIO Achiever Award recipients, including Academy Award-winning actress and producer Viola Davis, U.S. Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock, New York Times best-selling author Sarah Smarsh, and retired NASA astronaut José Hernández.

Please visit coenet.org for more information about the National TRIO Achiever Award or to purchase tickets to the 2025 Educational Opportunity Dinner.

Media Inquiries

For media inquiries or to arrange an interview, please contact Terrance L. Hamm, associate vice-president for communications and marketing at COE via email at [email protected] or call (202) 347-7430.

Popular Links

About COEabout TRIO PRogramsabout our presidentthe pell institutepress releasesabout our president emeritus

More News & Impact