Carteret CC Celebrates National First-Generation College Student Day

On Monday, November 8, Carteret Community College and the TRIO program will celebrate National First-Generation College Student Day to commemorate the passing of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA) and celebrate first-generation students, graduates, faculty, and staff.

The Higher Education Act of 1965 was passed to assist students who come from low-income and minority backgrounds in earning a college degree. HEA legislation invests in both students and the higher education institutions by providing federal grants and loans, as well as implementing programs such as TRIO.

“I remember driving by the campus as a child and thinking I want go there, and I want to work there someday,” said Jo Ann Cannon, Executive Director of the President’s Office at Carteret Community College.  “It’s nice to know that hard work pays off and that I and others are being recognized and celebrated,” Jo Ann’s first-gen story is one of many that Carteret CC and TRIO will celebrate on November 8.

The TRIO program at Carteret Community College has been in operation since 2001 and is funded to serve 165 students. Services include but are not limited to individualized academic advising, academic tutoring and group study, educational workshops, four-year College/University transfer trips, financial and economic literacy, childcare assistance, scholarships/grant aid, private computer lab, cultural enrichment, and career counseling. These services support postsecondary access, retention, and completion for low-income, potential first-generation college graduates.

To learn more about the services offered through TRIO and to celebrate National First-Gen Day, students are encouraged to come by TRIO on the second floor of the McGee Building between 11:00 AM and 1:00 PM on Monday, November 8.

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