CHARLOTTE, N.C./FEB. 24, 2024 - Johnson C. Smith University students, like students around the country, benefit from the federal TRiO Student Support Services Program. The program provides various services for students from disadvantaged backgrounds, including low-income students and students with disabilities, as well as first-generation college students.
“Student Support Services (SSS) students achieve and maintain high levels of academic excellence and are recognized leaders involved in professional development, personal growth experiences and community engagement activities,” said James Saunders, director of Student Support Services. “SSS is a community of excellence where students learn to embrace their potential, explore their passions and emerge as young adults ready to take on the next challenge of their lives.”
In 1986, the U.S. Congress elected to recognize National TRiO Day, which falls this year on Feb. 24, 2024. Johnson C. Smith University’s TRiO staff is celebrating the national day by highlighting some of the program’s brightest students.
THE MCNAIR SCHOLARS PROGRAM
The McNair Scholars Program is named in honor of Dr. Ronald E. McNair, a Black astronaut who died in the 1986 Challenger space shuttle explosion. Scholars who are the first in their families to attend college or who represent a group that is traditionally underrepresented receive financial support.
“It is inspiring to work with a group of talented, motivated students who possess extraordinary potential,” said Dr. Eric Styles, director of the JCSU McNair Scholars Program. “It’s particularly encouraging to witness them reap the benefits of their hard work. Two students who exemplify the program's goals are Cierra Carter ’24 and Tamera Reign ’24.”
Carter is a Social Work major who participates in several activities both on and off campus. She serves as a Charlotte Racial Justice Consortium Fellow, a resident assistant and the vice president of the United Negro College Fund Pre-Alumni Council.
Reign is a Sports Management major and a non-traditional student. She is the mother of two children, Aaliyah and Nyla, and currently works at Central Piedmont Community College.
“Tamera overcame several obstacles along her higher education journey with the help of a strong support network she continues to rely on,” said Styles. “She admits that balancing motherhood, work and school is never easy, but she is determined to provide a better life for her children and future generations.”
UPWARD BOUND PROGRAM
The Upward Bound Program is designed to assist high school students in their preparation to attend a postsecondary institution after they graduate high school. The program at JCSU has been in operation for more than 50 years, providing assistance and services to thousands of students in the Charlotte region.
The program consists of year-round support to aid students in their journey to acceptance to a college or university while increasing their cultural- and self-identity. A six-week intensive summer program provides students with an immersive learning experience to strengthen their academic foundations, explore colleges and attend career development sessions.
“By participating in this summer program, students gain confidence, sharpen their academic abilities and develop the necessary tools to excel academically in the upcoming school year,” said Magdalyn Lowe-Smith, director of JCSU’s Upward Bound Program.
Lowe-Smith says Ekijah Cook, a high school senior dual enrolled at Charlotte Engineering Early College, is an exceptional student within the Upward Bound Program.
“Ekijah is exceptional because of his perseverance, hard work and drive to achieve academic excellence despite life’s challenges,” she said. “He is determined to make something of himself.”
Cook has been a part of the Upward Bound Program for three-and-a-half years. He has taken three years of Mandarin Chinese (written and oral) and has volunteered with Second Harvest Food Bank of Charlotte, Toys 4 Tots, Friendship Trays and Urban Ministries.
His already full resume indicates that he has experienced tremendous personal and professional growth, which Lowe-Smith believes is due, in part, to Cook’s involvement in the JCSU Upward Bound Program.
TUTORIAL SERVICES
Tutorial services help students who need academic assistance outside of the classroom. Dr. Kenyatta Reed, coordinator of the Tutorial Program, says two students come to mind when thinking of those who have taken full advantage of Student Support Services.
The first is Francisco Santiago ’24, a Puerto Rican native studying Computer Science/Information Systems. He is a Dean’s List Scholar and a member of both the National Society of Leadership and Success and TRIO Student Support Services’ Chi Alpha Epsilon National Honor Society.
“Francisco’s passion for success is contagious,” said Reed.
Clarence “Teddy” Banks is a transfer student who started his collegiate journey three years ago at Cleveland Community College. During his time at the community college, he was actively seeking Student Support Services.
“I visited my counselor frequently; he helped me out a lot,” he said. “Not just in school but in life, figuring out how to be a father and a man.”
Banks’ motivation to succeed in the classroom comes from his 6-year-old son, who he hopes will continue to look to him as a role model.
For more information on National TRiO Day, visit the Council for Opportunity in Education online. Contact Saunders at jsaunders@jcsu.edu for more information on TRIO Student Support Services at Johnson C. Smith University.
