TRIO SSS at VCU

Join TRIO SSS at VCU & You First at VCU all week long as we recognize and celebrate VCU's first-generation students, alumni, faculty and staff!

National first-generation student day is November 8. YouFirst at VCU is providing a slate of programs from Nov. 7-11 to celebrate our first-gen student population.

Check out the list of events: https://youfirst.vcu.edu/resources/first-gen-week/

Today, VCU celebrates how we transform the community and world we share. Thousands of VCU alumni, faculty, staff, team members, students, family, and friends across the globe are asked to imagine more for our students, patients, faculty, staff, caregivers, researchers and the university by making an investment in the future of VCU.

VCU Giving Day starts now! Find a cause you love, make a gift and transform our university:

https://givingday.vcu.edu/o/virginia-commonwealth-university/i/giving-day?utm_source=fbig&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=givingday2022-vcu

The National TRIO Day party has started! Stop by and grab your cupcake and cocoa! We have other TRIO and VCU swag as well.

We love seeing our TRIO students making an impact on campus and beyond. Congratulations Oscar!

Oscar Kemp has been selected for the Public Policy and International Affairs (PPIA) Junior Summer Institute Fellowship Program!

Oscar is a junior in the VCU School of Social Work and will be one of 24 college juniors to participate in the summer institute at the University of Michigan Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy.

To learn more about Oscar and the PPIA program, read our blog post: https://blogs.vcu.edu/natlscholar/2022/02/25/vcu-student-selected-for-the-public-policy-and-international-affairs-junior-summer-institute-fellowship/

Returning VCU students: Due to the campus-wide outage yesterday, you have until 12:00 pm TODAY to submit your housing application.

Active TRIO students: As a reminder, if your application is not submitted on time, the SSS staff cannot guarantee your housing placement for the 22-23 academic year.

📣 The returner housing application deadline has been extended until TOMORROW, Saturday, Feb. 12, at noon, due to a VCU network outage. Apply at housing.vcu.edu/application.

Students - are you registered to attend the skating party on Sunday? If so, check your email for updates and important information. We look forward to seeing ya at the rink!

Students wishing to live on campus for the 2022-2023 academic year, the application period has now opened.

The housing application for returning Virginia Commonwealth University students is now open! Apply at housing.vcu.edu/application. Application closes Friday, Feb. 11 at noon.

Matt Tessema '21 made the most of his gap year serving as the 2021 Thomas R. Wolanin intern at the Council for Opportunity in Education - COE office on the House Education and Labor Committee with Congressman Bobby Scott's office. We are so proud of his success thus far and look forward to what's to come. Check out the blog post detailing more of his experience. https://coenet.org/blog.shtml

Way to go Oscar! We are super proud of you.

VCU social work student appointed to national leadership role Oscar Kemp is the first undergraduate student ever to serve on the board of directors of the Council on Social Work Education.

Way to go Tradgon! We are super proud of you.

Congratulations to Tradgon Sexton for being selected as a 2022 Thomas R. Pickering Fellow!

Tradgon graduated this year with a degree in French and International Studies. Tradgon was involved in the VCU Vietnamese Student Association, VCU TRIO, and ACCESS College Foundation. He was selected for a Boren Scholarship to study French and Wolof in Senegal. Tradgon is currently teaching English in France with the Teaching Assistant Program in France.

Learn more about the Pickering Fellowship and Tradgon here: https://news.vcu.edu/article/2021/12/student-three-alumni-selected-for-highly-competitive-fellowships

Thomas R. Pickering Foreign Affairs Program Virginia Commonwealth University VCU College of Humanities and Sciences VCU School of World Studies TRIO SSS at VCU

Pick up a pocket US Constitution at the Cabell Library front desk, until Sept. 20, while supplies last.

And celebrate Constitution Day 2021 with a video conversation on the complex relationship between 9/11 and the Constitution: https://go.vcu.edu/constitution

Join in with other FG and TRIO folks for a fun night in at the movies!

Alza la bandera! El Carnaval del barrio is just around the corner. 🎉 Join us on April 15th for a special early screening of IN THE HEIGHTS. All you need to do is pick one of the screening times below and click the link to sign up. Nos vemos!

3:30pm PST/6:30 ET
http://wbtickets.com/ITHFIRSTGEN

6:30pm PT/ 9:30 ET
http://wbtickets.com/FIRSTGENHEIGHTS

IN THE HEIGHTS in theaters June 11th!

SYNOPSIS:
Lights up on Washington Heights, a world very much of its place, but universal in its experience, where the streets are made of music and little dreams become big... The scent of a cafecito caliente hangs in the air just outside of the 181st Street subway stop, where a kaleidoscope of dreams rallies this vibrant and tight-knit community. At the intersection of it all is the likeable, magnetic bodega owner Usnavi, who saves every penny from his daily grind as he hopes, imagines, and sings about a better life.

Movie Landing Lights up on Washington Heights...The scent of a cafecito caliente hangs in the air just outside of the 181st Street subway stop, where a kaleidoscope of dreams rallies this vibrant and tight-knit community. At the intersection of it all is the likeable, magnetic bodega owner Usnavi (Anthony Ramos),...

Tomorrow kicks off our virtual celebration of TRIO Week!!! Students, have you registered for any of the events? Also, check your email for detailed information on how to win gift cards and swag bags throughout the week.

VCU's campus may be closed and classes are canceled, but you know what's still open? The application to the Business Services Scholarships. Apply today for a chance to win up to $10,000! The deadline to submit is tomorrow, Feb 19th. https://bsv.vcu.edu/scholarships/

Due to inclement weather, the university and TRIO SSS office is closed. All virtual appointments and activities have been canceled.

If you are in need of resource referrals due to weather-related outages and emergencies, contact your TRIO advisor for assistance.

Stay safe and enjoy your day off!

Nothing fancy here folks, we like to keep it classic...

Roses are red,
Violets are blue.
Always remember that your TRIO family
Cares about you! 🥰

Happy Valentine's Day from TRIO SSS! Remember to spend a part of today (and every day) taking care of yourself. Self-care is a crucial part of your everyday health and wellness.

Need some ideas for self-care? Check out The Well at VCU's podcast "What the Well" for some inspiration. https://player.acast.com/5c57554770a826e3684161a7?theme=default&cover=1&latest=1

Rounding out the TRIO staff is our behind-the-scenes wonder woman, Mallory! Mallory is the Administrative Assistant for both TRIO programs. Without her (and her special wands), we'd have a tough time making all the magic happen. Check out her profile and get to know a little about Mallory.

We are very thankful to have four of our amazing TRIO students work as our Student Support Services office support and programming staff. They also keep us updated on all things social media, campus food hot spots, current topics, and must-see Netflix/Hulu weekend binges.

Check out their staff profiles and get to know a little more about Patrice, Kailah, Nelley, and Sofia.

The TRIO office is excited to introduce our two new Graduate Assistants! Both will serve as part-time advisors and work to help our students achieve their dreams of becoming college graduates. They are each first-year MSW candidates in the VCU School of Social Work. In just these first two months, we have been blown away by their creativity, energy, and passion for student empowerment and advocacy. Welcome to the TRIO team, Ravine and Nicolette!

Today we introduce the new members of our student support/advising team.

Both Steven & Tiera come to us after having worked with other college access programs. We are excited to have them join the VCU TRIO Ramily!

We have added some new faces to the TRIO staff these past few months, so we are taking this week to introduce everyone. Starting off are our two fierce leaders, Chimene Boone & Michelle Bair. Check out their profiles below and get to know them a little better.

Here's an opportunity for currently enrolled VCU students to engage with the greater VCU community on topics regarding the university's Student Financial Services processes.

Are you a currently enrolled VCU student who is familiar with VCU Student Financial Services? Do you have an interest in contributing to the mission of VCU? Would you like to engage the greater VCU community in discussions concerning student financial aid, billing and payment? Consider applying to join the Student Financial Services Advisory Board. Applications are being accepted now through 1/29/21: https://sfmc.vcu.edu/sfsadvisoryboard/