TRiO SSP, part of the Center for Academic Success Programs at Western Michigan University, is a federally funded program that helps first-generation, income-eligible students as well as students with disabilities. The goal is to help these students complete their undergraduate degrees and successfully transition to graduate school and professional life. Westine, a first-generation college graduate, serves in an advisory role to these students, who are in the same situation she once was.
In fact, everyone on the professional staff at TRiO was once a first-generation college student, giving them first-hand insight and knowledge into the challenges these students face.
For Westine, the major challenge was a general lack of understanding over choosing a major.
“I vividly remember my mom calling a cousin of mine who was in college asking what I should major in,” said Westine. Her cousin advised something in business and computers and based on that information, Westine chose her major. While she made it through classes and eventually found a job in the field, Westine never had any passion for her course of study.
“My family didn't have any clue how I should have gone about picking a major or any ideas on how to help me decide what might be a good fit for me,” Westine explained. “I don't think I knew there were resources on campus that could have helped me select a major that fit better with my interests.”
While there may have been other resources Westine was unaware of, she was required to meet with a faculty advisor each semester. Unfortunately, the people assigned to advise her didn’t necessarily fill the gap of information or guidance she needed.
“My first faculty advisor was great. She explained classes, mapped out courses for me, and even challenged me to take harder computer programming courses —and she was so excited during our meetings,” Westine recalled. “My second advisor was awful. He had newspapers stacked so high on his desk I could barely see him. The main conversation I remember was him asking me what my dad did (a postal worker) and then told me I should try to get an internship at the post office as they used information systems there. End of conversation.”
Today, Westine helps students dealing with similar issues, but there are a variety of challenges specific to first-generation students, including the added pressure of being just that—the first in your family to attend college.
“Your entire family is counting on you,” explains Charlotte Giscombe, director of TRiO. After her father died, Giscombe was raised by a mother who never graduated from high school. “My mom did encourage me to obtain a college degree, but she could not help me with the process.”
“I was unsure, but determined,” said Giscombe. “In the early years, I lacked a great deal of self-confidence, but with every success, I began to realize that I could be successful, and also be helpful to other first-generation students like myself.”
Although Giscombe and Westine did not benefit from a program like TRiO as students, as staff members they’ve learned there are a number of ways students can be assisted. For example, Giscombe explains that many students who come to the program are unprepared for the heightened academic rigor of college.
“They have not learned how to study, or they may need to work on their English, writing, and or math skills,” says Giscombe. “Teaching them how to survive in college while they learn these valuable skills can be challenging both for TRIO and the students.”
While it can be challenging, staff members have found that the strength of this community has had a major impact on students, and that sense of community is perpetuated in several ways, including peer mentors and the opportunity to become a mentor.
“As student leaders, their job is to help our TRiO freshmen population acclimate to Western and college in general,” explains Giscombe. “A reciprocal benefit develops. The mentees become comfortable in their new environment while developing good academic and survival skills, and the peer mentor develops great leadership skills and self-confidence.”
Aside from mentoring, existing University programs are augmented to accommodate first-generation populations, including Fall Welcome Week and a First-Year Experience seminar course. TRiO freshmen first participate in a four-day Fall Welcome event where they are able to get to know each other and those same students are enrolled in a First-Year Experience seminar together for both the fall and spring semesters.
“As a result, they feel like they are part of an extended family,” said Giscombe. “We also give them resources, guidance, and tutoring, but most importantly, we help develop their self-confidence by introducing them to my success formula: positive energy, ask for help, and work as hard as you can.”
For more than 20 years, the program has helped hundreds of students in need, and each year more students move up the ranks to mentor, eventually graduating and starting their own careers. Giscombe and Westine are lucky enough to observe the success of many of the students they help, and both commented that it was the most fulfilling part of their work with TRiO.
“My hope is that, even if I might not be able to directly help a student, I can point them in the right direction and help them be prepared to ask the right questions to receive the assistance they might need,” said Westine. “I love it when students get in touch with me as a senior, or after they've graduated, to let me know about job opportunities they are finding in fields that they find meaningful and rewarding. I think it's exciting to see students discover their passions and work to fulfill their dreams.”
“It was only after I worked in this job for a while did I begin to understand the great opportunity I had been given to help other students who were just like me,” said Giscombe. “The most fulfilling thing is seeing someone who is struggling learn how to succeed as a result of participating in TRIO.”
To learn more about the TRiO Student Success Program, please visit their website.
Pictured, the TRiO SSP staff. From left to right, Front row: Charlotte Giscombe (Director), Thalia Guerra (Graduate Assistant), Stephanie Westine (Academic Services Coordinator), Cody Morris (Graduate Assistant). Back row: Denise Brown (Program Services Coordinator), Rachel Carlson (Office Coordinator).