Fall 2017 TRIO Newsletter

A Note From The Director

Welcome back!

Fall is one of my favorite times of year! It’s so heartwarming to see all of your

smiling faces return to campus with stories of summer and plans for the year.

As we continue to move forward with the mission of TRIO, we are excited

to welcome 30 new members into TRIO. The class of 2021 is an incredibly

talented and diverse group of students who are eager to make their impact

upon the community. We look forward to supporting every student in TRIO

as they navigate their educational and professional aspirations.

Whether you are a First-Year making the adjustment to Carleton or a Sopho-

more trying to find the “right” major or a Junior looking for an internship

while studying for the GRE or a Senior focusing on Comps while seeking an

answer to the question “What is my plan after graduation?,” TRIO will sup-

port you!

Please stop in early and please stop in often! Thank you to Melanie Cashin,

Kristin O’ Connell, Kathy Sommers and the wonderful TRIO Peer Leaders

for their work in getting TRIO off to a wonderful start!

“Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than

You.” ~ Dr. Seuss

UPCOMING

EVENTS FAFSA WORKSHOP

Thursday, Nov. 9th

Bring your 2016 taxes

and a laptop. Student

Financial Services will

answer questions and help you apply for the

FAFSA!

End-of-Term

Celebration

Thursday, Nov. 16th Take a break from

studying and join us for

tacos, cider, karaoke

and basketball.

An interview with Kathy Sommers

Kathy Sommers has been working at TRIO for 8 years as our administrative as-

sistant. She handles TRIO’s budget by handling paperwork and overseeing

TRIO’s grant. Additionally, she is in charge of TRIO’s Lending Library. We inter-

viewed her for our newsletter.

What is your favorite part about working with TRIO?

I really enjoy working with the students and the staff. The staff make my

work enjoyable, along with meeting and working with the students. I love

being part of TRIO and helping support students become successful at

Carleton.

What did you do before coming to TRIO?

Before TRIO, I worked for the Minneapolis Public School district, where I

eventually retired. I was a secretary in several different schools and spent several years in their administration

offices. I got a BA degree from Metro State after several years of taking a few classes each term while work-

ing. After I retired, I wanted to do something more, so I applied for temporary jobs at St. Olaf and Carleton.

Carleton hired me as a temp and then made it a permanent job.

What do you like to do in your free time?

I volunteer with the local DFL, where I am treasurer for two local units. I am working currently with Cannon

Valley Elder Collegium as their finance director. I volunteer and help my daughter, who works at Greenvale. I

love to read and spend time with my husband and family. I feel fortunate to have travelled a lot. I been to Eu-

rope several times, especially to Norway and Denmark, where I have family.

What are your favorite places you’ve visited?

My favorite trip was Italy, but I felt most comfortable in Denmark. It is a country where I can relax and enjoy

myself. It was the first country I ever visited overseas, and with family and friends there, I can feel at home

when I’m visiting.

First-Year Apple Picking First-year TRIO students gathered to go

apple picking at Fireside Orchard in

Northfield, Minnesota. Students enjoyed

doughnuts, drinking cider, and sampling

different varieties of apples. Students

brought back 2 pecks, or roughly 20

pounds of apples, back to campus!

TRIO Awareness Week and Class Act

TRIO Awareness Week took place the week of October

1st. It was an exciting week to promote TRIO and all of its

great opportunities our programs provide for low-income,

first generation students and students with disabilities on

this campus. We started strong with tabling during

lunchtime throughout the week. It was a great place for

people to ask questions about TRIO, get a button, and grab

a piece of candy.

The end of the week cumulated in our event, Class Act:

Unpacking the Carleton Experience. Eighty students and

staff joined us to talk about the different diversities on

campus and how to be successful at Carleton in academics, social life, and mental health. Eliot Ayala, Joe

Cardoza, Zene Finch, Sarah Kochanek, Phoebe Smith, and Tresa Xavier participated in a panel and shared

their experiences on their development at Carleton. It was an enjoyable and fascinating discussion, and to top

it off, the Mexican food from Gran Plaza was amazing.

First Year Retreat

At the beginning of each fall term,

first year TRIO students gather with

peer leaders and TRIO staff for a fun

and informative Saturday. The TRIO

retreat provides an opportunity for

freshmen to get to know each other

as well as familiarize themselves with

the resources available on campus.

This year, we kicked off the retreat

with a welcome from Joe Baggot,

the Associate Dean of Students, and

an info session with Candace Koen,

Carleton’s Student Accounting Man-

ager. TRIO’s newest members got the chance to sit down and talk with

each other during several icebreaker

activities throughout the day, and

participated in an Amazing Race-style scavenger hunt to find helpful staff and materials on the variety of

resources available to them on campus, such as the Career Center, Student Health and Counseling (SHAC)

and the Math Skills Center. We closed out the day with a group picture—and lots of new friends!

Off Campus Program Story: Kha Huynh

For the fall semester, I'm living in Budapest, Hungary and taking computer science and

engineering classes through the Aquincum Institute of Technology (AIT) program. The program

consists of 60 students predominantly from small liberal arts colleges in North America,

including Carleton, Pomona, Brown, and Grinnell. So far, my time here has been exciting and

enriching. I'm loving the experience of being able to delve deep into my major for the first time

with a full Computer Science course load, yet still a diversified one: my course load features a

mix of theory classes, application classes (I'm in a computational biology course, as well as a

computer visions/image manipulation for cinema post production.), and a cultural studies

elective. And, outside of class, I've been getting to know the city, its food, people, and public

transit pretty darn well too—with time to spare to travel a bit on the weekends. Here's to

more new experiences to come!

- Kha Huynh ‘19 (American Studies/ Computer Science)

I’m Susie Perez, class of 2017. I’m originally from Los Angeles, but now I’m

here, living it up in Saint Paul. I am working at College Possible, a college access

and success program, as a Senior Coach. As a program we work to help low-

income students to help give them the resources and coaching they need to get

to and succeed in college. As a Campus-Based Senior Coach, I work at North

Academy of Arts and Communication in North Minneapolis. We’ve jumped in

at a running start this year, finishing college essays, applying for the FAFSA, find-

ing right-fit schools, and sending out applications. Each day, I typically hold after

school sessions where we cover different topics each week, but also meet with

students individually to help them with each of their own concerns.

TRIO definitely helped me a lot throughout my time at Carleton. I think creating strong relationships with staff and

peers helped me know that there were people rooting for me on the sidelines no matter what. Whether it was help

picking the right classes, or a little boost of encouragement after I failed my first course, TRIO was always there to

keep me going. The biggest thing that TRIO honestly gave me though, was simply confidence. During my senior year I

started stressing about picking the right job, buying a car, and moving to the cities. I started coming in to see Trey and

Melanie more often because they had a lot of knowledge about just being an adult and living out in Minnesota. But most

of the time, they simply helped me realize that I was already capable of doing these things on my own. It was their gen-

uine caring for me that inspired me to do the work I’m doing today.

I really think that TRIO is so underrated sometime in terms of how much support they really do have to offer. I defi-

nitely would not have made it through in one piece without having all the reaffirming talks, words of encouragement,

and solid real-world advice. It took me a while to realize that it’s important and crucial to ask for help when you need

it. If I were to go back and do it all over again, I think I would have spent a lot more time hanging out and doing home-

work at TRIO House. I would have taken advantage of more of the workshops and tutoring services. Although I

thought I had gotten good at asking for help when I needed it, I skipped out on a lot of really great opportunities that

could’ve really helped me out in some tough times. TRIO is such an invaluable resource and full of the most amazing

people. I hope you find it to be your second home on campus just as I did.

Alumna Profile

Financial Literacy: The Deal With Credit

As we transition into a new school year, we continue to increase our focus on financial literacy. Each class

can expect one mandatory workshop per year on timely financial information, including budgeting, loans, and

credit.

Here are a few key takeaways from our recent “Building Credit” workshop, presented by Stephanie Ruckel, a

past consumer credit counselor for Lutheran Social Services:

• Good credit matters for many reasons. Do you ever plan to rent an apartment or buy a car? Do you

want your own cell phone plan some day? Do you care about the interest rates you’ll be offered on cred-

it cards or loans? Your credit score factors into all of these.

• Credit scores are based on the following1:

• Consider entering the credit card market with a retail card or secured card. Even credit newbies can

qualify for these cards. Find more information about various credit card option here: https://

www.creditcards.com/credit-card-news/help/types-of-credit-cards-6000.php

• Pay off your credit card in full each month! You’ll build your credit score and pay no fees!

• If you’re concerned about overspending, opt to use your card for one or two specific expenses per

month (for example, Netflix). If it’s a recurring cost, consider enrolling in automatic bill pay online. Then

cut up your physical card, so you can’t be tempted to use it for other purchases!

• If you’re concerned you’ll forget to pay your credit card bill, set up automatic bill pay with your credit

card, so it deducts automatically from your checking account.

Ultimately, knowing your credit score matters less than the steps you take to make smart credit decisions. If

you have further questions, please reach out to TRIO staff!

1Schulz, Matt. “How Your FICO Credit Score Is Calculated.” CreditCards.com. 28 Sept. 2011. Web.

Sabrina is a senior psychology major and neuroscience minor from Los Angeles,

California. She is a hip-hop dancer, loves to go hiking, a Disney fanatic, somewhat

ambidextrous, worked at an amusement park one summer, and is a certified

nursing assistant. We asked her some questions.

What is your favorite part about being a TRIO Peer Leader?

I love creating a bond with my mentees. It is extremely rewarding when my

mentees and I transition from a strict mentor-mentee relationship into a

more casual friendship. I know that the bonds I make with my mentees will

last after Carleton.

What is one piece of advice you have for making the most out of

your Carleton experience?

Coming into my 4th year at Carleton, I learned how important it is to set

limitations for myself. It is so easy to get caught up in the hectic lifestyle many

students experience due to the 10-week term. Students complain about how little they have slept and the amount of

work they need to do. It’s important to take time for yourself. You do your best when you are your best. There is

time to take a walk across campus, to see friends, to eat, to call your family, or to do anything that improves your well-

being.

Would you rather have hands for feet or feet for hands?

If I really had to choose, I would rather have hands for feet because I can then do a lot of things a monkey does. Now

that I think about it, I would also like to have a tail, because why not. If I’m going for the monkey look, I want to go all

out.

Favorite memory from Carleton?

I have so many great memories, which makes it hard to just pick one. One of my most prominent memories that I love

happened freshman year. At that time, almost my entire friend group lived in Goodhue and I lived in Nourse. One

evening, we were hanging out in the super lounge messing around and just having a good time. Even though that specif-

ic friend group doesn’t exist anymore, I am still close to everyone. It’s a very nice and nostalgic memory.

TRIO Peer Leader Profile: Sabrina Velasco

Kudos TRIO would like to thank the many partners who made fall term a success. We appreciate every one of you who

showed up for events, wore TRIO t-shirts and buttons, and gave words of encouragement to TRIO students and staff.

Special thanks to Carolyn Livingston, Joe Baggot, Rhemi Abrams-Fuller, Betsy Lane-Getaz, Leah Wellstone, Dawn Fad-

den, Gladys Cortes, Candace Koen, Sam Palim, Liv Phillips, Clara Hazlett-Norman, Marynel Ryan Van Zee, Renata Fitz-

patrick, Kathy Evertz, Russ Petricka, Helena Kaufman, Gabe Barella, Ashley Belisle, Stephanie Ruckel, Joe Cardoza, Eliot

Ayala, Phoebe Smith, Tresa Xavier, Sarah Kochanek, Zene Finch, Vanessa Martinez-Hernandez, Wendy Lo, Paulina

Hoong, Susy Briones, Anny Lei, Sabrina Velasco, Lisa Au, Adriana Castillo, Phuong Nguyen, Miguel Rincon Cervantes,

Derek Maness, Janet Lewis Muth, Caroline Boroughs, and Drew Weis. We so appreciate your support and could not

run our programming without you!