Oakton Community College Gets $1.5M Grant

The news that Oakton Community College (OCC) received a $1.5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education for its TRiO program meant more to Leana Cuellar than most.

Cuellar, the college's coordinator for TRiO and a former program participant at DePaul University, said the education initiative is important because it supports disadvantaged students in reaching their academic goals.

"I feel very fortunate to work with current TRiO students," she said.  "I feel very closely connected to the benefits of the program."

TRiO programs are federal outreach and student support services that help people from disadvantaged backgrounds earn college degrees.  Colleges, universities and community-based organizations across the country apply for grants to host the TRiO program, according to the Department of Education's website. 

The TRiO program advisers at the Des Plaines and Skokie campuses of OCC help first-generation college students, low-income students and students with disabilities navigate class schedules and understand the process of obtaining financial aid.  The ultimate goal is to help them earn a four-year degree, Cuellar said.

"We are here to fill in the gaps for these students and help them understand the difference between loans and grants, for example," she said.

OCC applied for the $1.5 million grant to sustain its current services and the money will support student services for the next five years.  The program has been a part of the college since 1990, Cuellar said.

Perhaps because of the economy, there were significantly more applicants for the grant this year, the TRiO coordinator noted.

Of the 10,000 credit-seeking students at both the Des Plaines and Skokie campuses, about 25 percent qualify for TRiO services, said Kristine Panopio, a TRiO adviser.  Cuellar said the program provides one-on-one counseling to 215 students.

The program is a lifeline to some students.  By helping them plan their future and finish their degrees, the TRiO program keeps a lot of students on track.

"TRiO helped me find direction," said Michelle Emery, 26, who recently earned her associate's degree from Oakton Community College and is now pursuing a bachelor's degree in English Secondary Education at Northeastern Illinois University.  "I don't think I would have gotten my degree without the TRiO program."

The program is unique because it provides students with one-on-one academic counseling, and students have the same adviser throughout their school experience, Emery said.  Advisers not only helped her through the transfer process, but also helped to "push her thinking," she said.

TRiO has always been important, but lately there has been a lot more uncertainty over money and security among students—a trend that Panopio, who has been a TRiO adviser at Oakton for about 12 years, has seen increase in the last year or two.

"[For these students], it helps to have someone understand their situation," Panopio said.

Panopio has seen the changes the program has gone through over the years.  The program has had a few name changes, but since Oakton has used TRiO, the federal label, students have felt more empowered and a part of a bigger community while at national conferences.

"They have come back feeling more of a sense of pride," Panopio said.

The TRiO program, which boasts famous alumni such as Oprah Winfrey and actress Angela Bassett, goes beyond students' experience at OCC. TRiO alumni have volunteered to give campus tours to students looking to transfer and help them with their transition to a new school.

"We've even had instances where students become roommates," Panopio said.

Overall, the program's importance lies in how it helps students.

"Ultimately, this is helping to break the cycle of poverty," Cuellar said.