TRIO offers individuals one-on-one and group academic advising, tutoring, financial counseling, cultural excursions, professional mentoring, career exploration, workshops and more. The initiative also works with pre-college students and provides summer programming, college tours and college application assistance.

This year, during Kentucky TRIO Day in February, UofL TRIO provided two days of workshops, speakers and academic competitions. TRIO Day was established in 1986 by Congress to commemorate the annual achievements of the federal TRIO programs in communities across the country.

UofL News sat down with Laila Shell, a beneficiary of the program and a sophomore in the College of 成人直播 and Human Development studying middle and secondary education.

UofL News: How did you discover TRIO’s student support services?

Shell:
I was in middle school — I think 7th grade, and I can’t really tell you how it came about or how I found out about it. But I just know a lot of my friends were like, 鈥淥h, there’s this program called TRIO,鈥� and we just all signed up together. We knew that it would allow us to visit colleges, and it was a good opportunity to explore and meet new people.

UofL News:聽What was the most beneficial support that TRIO provided you?

Shell:
Definitely the tours, visiting campuses and college readiness. They helped us make sure that we were studying for tests like the ACT, really making sure that we were on track to graduate and have a future in a college or whatever else.

UofL News: What would you say to students who are curious about the support services?

Shell:
I would say try it, you could only gain from it. I feel like the dedication and the warm guidance that they give you is one-of-a-kind; they put their all into making sure that you’re on the right track to graduate and just have a good future.

It’s something you should definitely look into if you have the time for it — go to the sessions, attend the trips. Most of it is very low cost or free, so you really have nothing to lose, all to gain. You make the connections, the network and it鈥檚 a good opportunity to make sure that you get yourself out there and prepared for college.

UofL News: How has TRIO Student Support Services impacted your experience at UofL?

Shell:
The study areas that we have and the communal vibe. First-generation students and students who fewer financial resources just all getting together and sharing that space for growth. The resources are there. You can’t say, “I don’t have someone or people to confide in,” they’re all going through the same things you’re going through. It’s just a space to be yourself and get the guidance and resources you need to succeed.

UofL News: How has TRIO impacted your experience? Beyond UofL, do you see your future being impacted by the services that TRIO provided?

Shell:
I think it’s really the connections for me. I feel like we’re all individuals who want the best for ourselves. I feel like the connections that I make within this group is long-term, it’s fulfilling to see people that look like me and that want to be successful in the future. The connections and the networking that goes along within the program are probably some of the most beneficial things for me. Stepping outside of academics, social life on campus is really important to make sure that you’re motivated to keep going and have people to depend on. So, I feel like the networking aspect of it has helped me a lot. I am a better person as far as communicating and making myself known and putting myself out there to try new things and be involved with other aspects of campus.

UofL News: What obstacles would you have faced to your education without TRIO services?

Shell:
I wouldn’t be as open-minded as I am. The barriers that you face as a first-generation student can sometimes limit your beliefs and your expectations for your future. This has provided me more knowledge about the resources that I have on campus. They provide it and they give it to you and it’s just easy to grasp information and resources here. So, without them, I don’t know if I would be able to succeed in college or even be the best version of me.

UofL News: Like envisioning your potential?

Shell:
Yeah, I probably would feel the odds are set against me, you know? But here I feel seen, and I feel valued. That allows me to be the best version of me.

Network Champion colleges and universities are national leaders in advancing first-generation efforts and contributing to a knowledge base of evidence-based practices, leadership engagement and scaling student supports.

“UofL is becoming a magnet school for first-generation students,鈥� said Katie Adamchik, director of student success. 鈥淪tudents are coming here saying they chose us because we’ve got such strong support for them. When we started this work at UofL, first-generation work was not institutionalized. We scaled our efforts, and we see it has positively impacted the recruitment and retention of students and created new ways to engage with UofL alumni and retirees. This work brings together the whole UofL community and makes us a leader nationally.鈥�

UofL has been participating in the network since 2021. To date, 429 institutions of higher education, including two statewide systems, have entered the network, representing 49 states and the District of Columbia.

鈥淣ot only is the University of Louisville doing excellent work to support their own first-generation students, but they continue to provide support and add to evidence-based practices that serve as a model for all those working to support this population in higher education,鈥� said Sarah E. Whitley, executive vice president with FirstGen Forward.

To learn more about how UofL supports first-generation students, read the fall 2023 UofL聽 Magazine article, 鈥�On Solid Ground: First-gen Cardinals get targeted support.鈥櫬�

Green stepped into the newly created position following a six-year run as principal of Central High School. The executive director of undergraduate programs position was created to support the success of all students in the college, with particular focus on first-generation and Pell-eligible students. In his new role, Green will mentor current and prospective students throughout their UofL experience to ensure successful completion of an undergraduate degree and entry into the workforce or a graduate program. UofL News had the chance to talk to Green about his return to campus and his objectives in the new role.聽

UofL News: Tell us about your path to UofL 鈥� and back?

Raymond Green: I was born and raised in Louisville. I love the city and our region. I went to Central High School, where I did really well in music. I had a couple of scholarship opportunities around the state, one being at the University of Louisville, which is where I did my undergraduate studies. I had a great time as an undergraduate in the UofL School of Music, where I earned my bachelor鈥檚 degree in music education.

From there, I started teaching in the Jefferson County Public Schools at Central High School and Seneca High School. Then my wife and I decided we wanted to move to Houston, Texas. We lived in Houston for a year and we learned there are two seasons in Houston: summer and January.

So, we moved back to Louisville. My principal at the time saw something in me and encouraged me to pursue my master鈥檚 in administration 鈥� and my wife encouraged me to do that as well. So I earned my master鈥檚 degree in education administration from the UofL College of 成人直播 and Human Development.

Immediately I got a job as assistant principal at Meyzeek Middle School, where I spent three years. Then the principalship at Central High School 鈥� my alma mater 鈥� came open. I won that job and was principal at Central for six years. I had a lot of great experiences and was able to do a lot of great things there.

Then this opportunity at UofL came along to work at the College of Business leading the undergraduate program. It鈥檚 been a great journey from Central as a student to Central as principal and now back to the University of Louisville.

UofL is a special place. It is, as Neeli says, a great place to work, learn and invest. I think that has always been true, but she was wise enough as our president to conceptualize it. More importantly, the university changes lives; education changes lives. It did that for me and now I want to be able to do that for other young people.

UofL News: What is one of your most memorable moments as a student at UofL?

Raymond Green: I had so many great moments! As an undergraduate student 鈥� maybe in 2002 鈥� I was in the marching band, which as we know, plays at the Kentucky Derby every year. This particular year, Wynton Marsalis was a guest musician with the marching band. In between races, he said, 鈥楢re there any tuba players who can lay down some B-flat blues?鈥�

I said, 鈥業 can lay down some B-flat blues!鈥�

He just so happened to have his spoons player with him and all of a sudden, the infield turned into this New Orleans street jam with Wynton Marsalis, the spoons player and me. That was a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

As a doctoral student, I had the great opportunity to present at University Council for 成人直播al Administration with several colleagues. That was my first taste of representing the city and the university on a national and global level. We presented the paper in the same room with New York University, Vanderbilt and Ohio State. That was my first taste getting to represent UofL as a Research I university. That really made me proud.

UofL News: How did UofL prepare you for success after graduation?

Raymond Green: Aside from receiving a world-class education in the classroom, I would say it was the diversity. The university does an incredible job of being proactive in trying to be inclusive and recognizing that the world is greater than the demographics of our city. Louisville is pretty diverse, but the university is even more diverse. So as a principal at Central, when I had 30 languages spoken at my school, that was comfortable for me because I had been in a similar environment at the university.

UofL News: How did being a UofL Cardinal Ambassador influence your life and career path?

Raymond Green: Being a Cardinal Ambassador was awesome! It was work-study, and in college you need money, so it was good for that. Also, it was good work experience in building people skills and learning how to be an ambassador and how to promote the school. It gave me the chance to see the university through the eyes of a potential student and that really translated for me down the road. As a principal, I had to be an ambassador for Central and say, 鈥楲et me tell you why you need to come to Central,鈥� and 鈥楲et me share with you all the wonderful things about my school.鈥�

Beyond that, being a student ambassador allowed me to see parts of the university that I never would have seen as an undergraduate tuba player. It broadened my horizons to know all of the programs and degrees that are offered here. It also instilled pride in the university a little bit more.

UofL News: What did you learn from your time at Central and Meyzeek that will help you guide students to and through UofL?

Raymond Green: Dr. Mooradian, our dean, is a great visionary. I think it is a brilliant move on his part to hire a high school principal from the public school system 鈥� whether it was me or someone else 鈥� to oversee undergraduate programs. We want to ensure that our first-generation students have access, opportunity and support. We want to make sure that our Pell-eligible students have access, opportunity and support. Coming from the public K-12 world, I know first-hand the challenges and hurdles that first-gen and Pell-eligible students will have.

From the university side, we can start to build systems and programs that will remove barriers and seek to identify talented students who just need a shot. Who is the kid that just needs an opportunity and, once we give them that opportunity, is going to shine like the sun?

UofL News: What do you hope to accomplish first as Executive Director of Undergraduate Programs in the College of Business?

Raymond Green: I want to talk to the students 鈥� listen to the students 鈥� and talk to the faculty. As a principal, I was at my best when I listened to the students and the faculty. That leadership lesson applies here as well, particularly being brand new to higher ed. My job first and foremost is to serve the students. Secondarily 鈥� maybe 1-A 鈥� is to serve the faculty. If I do that, the learners will win.

The first thing I want to do is ask, 鈥楬ow can we support you? You picked us and we picked you. How can we support you to graduation? How can we support you to find a career that you are going to be passionate about and going to be successful in and thrive?鈥�

Once I feel I have a good handle on that, we will start building out programs to increase our diversity and our enrollment into the College of Business.

UofL News: How do you plan to help first-generation and Pell-eligible students navigate the social and academic challenges of attending college?

Raymond Green: We had a great opportunity at Central High School for the last two years where we piloted a program called the Cardinal Bridge Academy, where we looked for students who knew they wanted to study business at the university, particularly seniors in high school. Then we offered them the CIS 205 course 鈥� one of the first courses every business student takes 鈥� as a dual credit course online. Once the student successfully passed that course, that counted as their admission to the university. There are many students who have a 3.5 GPA and a subpar ACT score, but by completing this course, they just demonstrated that they can do collegiate level work at a high level. To us in the College of Business, that is enough. We are not going to let the ACT be a barrier to admission.

We want to take this program that has proven to be successful at Central and expand it to other schools and even surrounding counties. I believe we are sitting on a surplus of talent and we want to say, 鈥榃here is that talent, who are the children who need a shot?鈥� I wouldn鈥檛 be where I am today without higher education and I firmly believe that higher education is the ticket.

UofL News: What will be key in getting every student across the stage with a diploma?

Raymond Green: A few things. One is community. Students need community, a sense of belonging, a sense of ownership, a sense that, 鈥業 belong here. I am a Cardinal business student.鈥� I think back to my time as an undergraduate. I was so proud to be part of the tuba studio in the School of Music. There was a lot of identity baked into that.

It鈥檚 also important that we have academic acceleration and academic support for our students. It鈥檚 crucial that we support them academically as they progress through school.

We need to make sure we provide an incredible return on investment for our learners and give them drive and motivation so they can stay focused from semester to semester, year to year, and make it all the way to graduation.

It鈥檚 recruiting and admissions; it鈥檚 also advising and job placement. And if not job placement, then I know Vernon Foster wants them in the MBA program, so my job is to go get kids, make sure we support them while they are here, and then guide them to a great job or a great path to the MBA program.

UofL News: What else would you like to share?

Raymond Green: I am humbled, I am thrilled, I am honored to join the university in this capacity. I believe in the leadership of our president; I believe in the leadership of our dean and I believe the university is going in a great direction right now. Our best days are ahead of us.