GABY RAMIREZ Gaby Ramirez is an alumna of Academic Advancement Center (Student Support Services) at Colorado State University (CSU). She graduated in December 2018 with a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry and a minor in Molecular Biology. Gaby first enrolled at Front Range Community College after graduating high school. She had an interest in the medical field but didn’t expect to dedicate her studies to conducting research. She took on a volunteer role in a biotechnology program that led her to a research experience for undergraduates at CSU. During her first semester at Front Range, she became a participant of the TRIO Student Support Services (SSS) where she received a variety of services including; professional development, support from her advisor, and guidance on the transfer process. This led her to participate in a program called “Bridges to Baccalaureate.” It helps students interested in science transfer to CSU, receive support in navigating a new system, connect students to advisors and professors, and links them with research lab opportunities. Gaby transferred to Colorado State University and University, entered the Academic Advancement Center (TRIO SSS) in Fall 2016 and declared an interest in Biochemistry. “As a transfer student, it is really hard to make friends, connect with professors, learn about all the academic resources, and actually understand the importance to continue doing research, to start thinking about graduate school and what to do after graduation. More importantly, to combat the imposter syndrome most of us suffer every time we are in a new territory,” she stated. Gaby took full advantage of her participation in TRIO SSS as well as with Bridges to Baccalaureate (B2B). As a first generation, woman of color in STEM, she has faced many challenges but has continued moving forward. Gaby plans to pursue graduate school in 2021 and in the meantime, she plans to continue gaining experience in research programs.   MICHAEL MATNEY I graduated from Colorado Mesa University in Grand Junction, December, 2019. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the wonderful people at TRIO. Without the TRIO program I would not be where I am today. When I first started at Colorado Mesa University, I was 38 years old and could barely navigate a basic computer system, let alone the CMU websites. Struggling through High School with learning disabilities, and being bullied, I dropped out and got involved with drugs and alcohol. I became a burden to society, I was in and out of the justice system, believing I would never amount to anything. After getting my GED, I realized education was the key to breaking the cycle of addiction and mental abuse which was causing my self-destructive behavior. CMU gave me a chance to prove I was serious about my education. I am a first-generation student so I qualified for the TRIO program. Everyone made sure I felt welcomed and supported, if I had any questions, I did not feel like I was being talked down to or bothering anyone. They provided a mentor who volunteered to work with me and who went beyond the call of duty. They helped me proof-read my papers and made sure I understood the errors. The staff members would sometimes stay late to make sure that I could use the computer and not miss deadlines. TRIO offers many programs and workshops that continue to help me in my daily walk. One of the most helpful workshops I attended was the “How to Apply for Scholarships”. This aided me in becoming a recipient of The Daniels Fund, and Saccomanno scholarships, which helped immensely. Another extremely helpful workshop was “Navigating the FASFA Website”, after this workshop I never felt intimidated again while filling out the FAFSA. After graduation it was so easy to update my resume, because I had already created my resume, sophomore year, in a TRIO workshop. TRIO made college so much easier for me to understand and helped me achieve my goals. If someone is willing to put forth the effort and utilize the tools TRIO provides, they too can achieve their goals. Because I asked for help, used the programs in place, and opened myself to the opportunities available, I was able to achieve my degree. MILLICENT ASUBONTENG Millicent is a power-house of talent and skills plus a true representative of the Community College of Aurora and TRIO Student Support Services! Millicent joined the traditional SSS program at CCA in summer of 2016. She heard about the SSS program during a classroom visit where staff came to speak about the program to her English class. Millicent quickly determined that she wanted and needed the support of the program and applied very soon after. Having joined the program during her second semester at CCA, she was still unsure about what career she wanted to pursue, the path that she wanted to follow, and what steps to take to get there, but she was sure that she was supposed to be in college to pursue a better life for her and her family. To help her reach her goals, Millicent spent a substantial amount of hours fully utilizing the services of TRIO. She regularly checked in with and used academic advising and scholarship/resource help but is most known for her dedication to the use of tutoring. In fact, Millicent became a consistent attendee, organically creating a student study group to help with her science courses. Millicent is the mother of four young children, and the wife to a very supportive husband. Her youngest son was often a visitor of CCA, joining her at advising sessions, tutoring, or attending workshops with her. She also worked and volunteered at her church. On top of all this, she was a stellar student. In her final semester of classes at CCA, Millicent held a 3.78 GPA and graduated with the distinction of cum laude! As if that wasn’t enough, Millicent was one of only 30 students to be accepted to the competitive Integrated Nursing Pathways program in partnership with the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus in summer 2018. MARTIN BOYZO Early 2018, Pikes Peak Community College student and USMC veteran Martin Boyzo found himself facing what seemed to be an insurmountable roadblock. After multiple attempts, he had finally conquered developmental math classes, only to fail College Algebra. Convinced that math was “something I could never learn,” he said, he abandoned his dream of becoming an engineer, switched majors, and resigned himself to a relationship with math characterized by fear and frustration. All that changed when Martin decided to attend the TRIO Student Support Services (SSS) Math Attack program in summer 2018. Spearheaded by PPCC TRIO alumni and current TRIO staff, Carrie Riffee and Selinea Moore-Allen, Math Attack examines obstacles to math success and provides tools and strategies to tear down barriers. Focused on attitude change and skills-building in the context of fun activities with real-life application, the four-week summer Math Attack program has demonstrated measurable success in key indicators associated with student persistence. Martin credits Math Attack with helping him develop a growth mindset and reduce math anxiety. Previously, “if I didn’t understand something, my brain would shut down and that was it,” he said. Now, he says that “I am more willing to take on challenges rather than be afraid of failing or making mistakes. If I get it wrong, instead of giving up, I just say let’s figure out what happened.” This attitude switch propelled him to a B in his College Algebra retake and to reclaim his engineering dream. Because TRIO is all about giving back, Martin is now a TRIO math tutor supporting other students in their math progress. NIDIA VIVANCO Nidia entered the University of Colorado Denver (CU Denver) TRIO Student Support Services (SSS) Program in fall 2006 as a transfer student from the Community College of Denver (CCD). Originally from a small town in Peru, Nidia and her family waited for over 10 years before they finally received word from the State Department that they were approved to immigrate to the United States. Nidia knew she wanted to make her family proud by gaining an education. The road to success was not easy for her. While enrolled at CCD, she worked full-time and attended classes full-time keeping up a strong GPA, all the while struggling with English as a Second Language issues. Nidia also paid out of pocket her first year at CCD because she did not know how the higher education system worked. By the time Nidia attended CU Denver, she was exhausted and feeling beaten. She was fearful that she would let her family down. Fortunately, she was directed to TRIO SSS where she found a community of like-minded individuals who helped her to feel she had found a second home. Nidia credits TRIO SSS with helping her to find the strength to continue towards her dream. Nidia did very well at CU Denver. She graduated from the University in summer 2010 with a 3.466 GPA after being accepted to the CU Denver Post-baccalaureate health professions program. Only a handful of students are selected for that program each year. In 2012, Nidia completed a Master of Science degree at Regis University in Biomedical Research. She then enrolled at the CU Denver Dental School in fall 2012 and has celebrated with her family and friends her success at making her dreams come true despite the odds. Nidia gave everything to the dream of becoming a dentist so that one day she can give back to her community and help build an individual’s confidence through a beautiful smile.