Last week at Forsyth Tech, we celebrated two significant events: our TRIO Student Support Services Recognition Ceremony and TRIO Upward Bound Graduation. Watching the joy and pride on our students’ faces and listening to their stories reminded me that education — when supported by programs like TRIO—is not just a pathway to opportunity. It’s a lifeline.

TRIO programs support students from lower-income and first-generation backgrounds. They provide academic guidance, college and career preparation, tutoring, mentoring, and a powerful sense of belonging. But even more than that, TRIO programs spark hope. They help students see and achieve a future they may have once believed was out of reach.

At Forsyth Tech, our TRIO programs change lives. On Thursday night, we honored college students who persist and are thriving, thanks to TRIO Student Support Services (SSS). On Saturday, we proudly graduated our TRIO Upward Bound seniors—students from Glenn and North Forsyth High Schools who have spent two years receiving intensive support, visiting colleges, attending summer enrichment programs, and developing the confidence and skills to take their next steps—whether college, career, or military service.

Many of these students are the first in their families to attend college. Thanks to Upward Bound, every one of these remarkable young people has a clear plan for their future. This plan empowers them to build a better life for themselves and strengthens our communities and society.

And yet, the federal funding that makes all this possible is at risk.

This vital funding should not be on the chopping block -- it is a national priority.

We should be increasing funding for services. If we are serious about building a skilled workforce, expanding opportunity, and strengthening our communities, we must continue investing in programs that work. TRIO and Upward Bound are programs that work but are not the only ones.

The current federal budget proposal recommends eliminating or deeply cutting several programs that directly impact students who need the most support:

• TRIO and GEAR UP – eliminated (a $1.5 billion cut)

• Federal Work-Study – reduced by nearly 80%

• Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants (SEOG) – eliminated

• Child Care Access Means Parents in School (CCAMPIS) – eliminated

• Strengthening Institutions Program, Teacher Quality Partnerships, and others – eliminated

These are not abstract line items. They represent tutoring, mentoring, campus jobs, childcare for student-parents, and extra financial aid for students already doing everything possible to make college work.

I know firsthand how vital these programs are because I was one of the students they were created to help. Growing up on a tobacco farm in rural North Carolina, my family didn’t have the resources to pay for college, and I didn’t have transportation. Federal Work-Study allowed me to work at the college, earn a paycheck, and stay enrolled. Without it and the kind of targeted support programs like these provide, I’m not sure I would have made it. Without my education, the cycle of poverty that gripped my family for generations would have continued. These investments don’t just help students persist through college; they remove barriers that would otherwise keep them from even stepping through the door.

Scaling back or eliminating these supports would be a loss for students and all of us. Our economy and future depend on students equipped to thrive, lead, and contribute.

I’ve seen what’s possible when we invest in human potential and back that belief with action. Because of these programs, I’ve watched young people go from uncertain high schoolers to confident college-bound leaders. We can’t afford to take that away.

Now is not the time to pull back on opportunity. It’s the time to double down on what works.

When we invest in students, we invest in the future of our communities, workforce, and nation.

Let’s keep investing in opportunity. Let’s keep lighting the way.

Let's Keep Investing in Opportunity!

Let's Keep Lighting the Way!