Student Finds Friends & Success Using OCTC's TRiO Program
Owensboro, KY (11/21/2019) — Madelyn Loyd had been a stay-at-home mom for a year when she decided she needed to pursue a college education. She chose Owensboro Community & Technical College (OCTC) not only because she felt it would be affordable but because the daycare on campus would be convenient for her and her young son. She has been attending OCTC for two years and has become a familiar sight on campus with her service dog Yoshi. During that time Loyd has changed from being a Business major to a Psychology major. Her future plans now include transferring to Kentucky Wesleyan College.
Loyd states that OCTC has been a good fit for her. Having a disability, she has encountered some obstacles in the traditional classroom setting. Yet, she maintains that the faculty have been willing to arrange one-on-one approaches to help her when the standard approaches were not effective.
When asked what makes her experiences at OCTC memorable, she quickly responds with one word: TRiO. TRiO Student Support Services is a federally-funded program that provides support to first-generation, low-income, or disabled college students. Before joining TRiO, Madelyn would sit alone in the college's library, sometimes for up to three hours waiting for her next class. She was lonely and depressed because no one reached out to her; she had few college friends.
That all changed once she discovered TRiO. "I am 100% better off now. It is an incredible program with amazing support. I have so many friends now," she states. Madelyn urges other students to apply to TRiO if they qualify. She explains that the program provides a variety of useful resources to students: workshops that deal with topics such as "adulting," mental health, and finances; a computer lab; a hangout space with free food; and a great staff who wants the members to succeed. Loyd's video story is posted at facebook.com/OwensboroCTC or at https://youtu.be/-EbZGtLrwFQ.
For more information about OCTC's TRiO program please contact Mary Bruner, at mary.bruner@kctcs.edu or call 270-686-4545.
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