Alexis Velazquez

In this event I had the opportunity to meet the full team for STRIVE as well as the introduction of the new program which merged DMSI and WOW. In this meeting I learned about the mission of STRIVE which is to help the students have a foundation in which they can find support for many things which help to build a solid strong foundation. I learned about the 360 Workshops, which are focused on our academics and can help to inspire leadership. We learned about Power Circles which focus biweekly sessions which help build or skills and can give confidence to bring a connection and find our voice. STRIVE also offers many services to make our foundation by providing support and mentorship, giving connections around campus and to feel welcomed. Overall, it was an amazing experience, this program opens up more opportunities and can help me grow around campus.

In this event we had an activity of this or that to start things off. After that we discussed the overview of TRIO which included the expectations from us, which include meeting with a TRIO advisor monthly, attend 3 meetings per semester, complete the FAFSA, etc. We also went over academic excellence which helped to make strategies or discuss them to manage time efficiently in order to thrive. Lastly, we went over upcoming events like the workshops. Overall, it was a great experience to refresh the knowledge from existing TRIO members and to introduce the program to newcomers.

In this session we had a Kahoot activity. I learned about changes in the requirements in the scholarship. I also learned tips for GivePulse, GPA requirements, tips to keep engaged, etc. Overall, it was good because it refreshed my memory in some things which I had forgotten about, and I also learned knew crucial information about changes in the scholarship.

In the event I participated by helping with checking in students and giving them their name tag and ticket. I also helped by moving them around, and lastly I helped by setting up things for lunch. Overall, I thought it was a great experience and it was nice to help incoming students.

In the trip I learned about a lot of new things. We went to University of Maryland Eastern Shore, where I had the opportunity to learn about their programs and their transfer requirements. We then walked through the campus and learned about the history and their ways of standing out, like their golf club. I also had the opportunity to meet the strongest man, and is a coach there, he has many accomplishments, one of the biggest ones is the fact that he won powerlifting without any drugs. In Salisbury University, we met with group of members of TRIO that operate in Salisbury. We learned about their history at the college, and also the impact it has on the many students, as well as the members of the TRIO group. We toured the places where we can locate help that is offered by them and also walked through the college and learned about Salisbury University. Overall, the experience was amazing, it gave me more insight and further inspiration to keep going work harder, seeing the effort that makes institutions is simply incredible.

In this session I learned about the impact that social media has on mental health. I thought that social media impact was mostly negative and that I did not get affected by it, however, I was wrong. Social media makes impact in not just by what people post but also by how we interact with the material. So, in this session I learned that I need to learn to have boundaries in social media, because doom scrolling can have impact on my well-being, I also learned about ways to make plans in order to have a clear path in which I know where my next steps should be.

I learned about tuition costs, registration fees, instructor fees, hidden costs, and course related fees. I also learned about some information about transferring to a four year institution like UMD. I learned their tuition is 430.24 per hour, also mandatory fees, orientation fees, and enrollment deposit. I learned about scholarships, transfer scholarships, how competitive they are, the need vs merit sense, and how the amount of money may vary. I also learned about important things like transcript and the importance they have both the unofficial and official transcript, and I got tips like talking to admission counselors, applying early for financial aid, getting recommendations, making connections with other students, and transfer scholarship deadlines.

In this meeting I learned about the new adjustments which the scholarship will have, the topics that were discussed were about academic and program requirements and givepulse tips. I learned about the foundation of earning hours, and also to what does not count as hours. I learned also about the gpa requirements and consequences of each depending on which gpa I have.

I learned about new requirements and changes for our upcoming year, as well as information to check our financial aid, and important dates like the refresh session.

In this meeting we listened to a guest speaker, Ashanti Martinez. In this meeting Delegate Martinez talked to us about his life before becoming a state delegate for Maryland. He mentioned the Speaker of House of Delegates Adrienne Jones and showed us a video when he swore to become a delegate. I learned about what a state delegate is and what they do, while also discussing about civil engagement. Overall, I improved my knowledge in politics because I was not very political centered before.