Published on Oct. 29, 2026

By: Sophie Geppert

TRiO Student Support Services (SSS) help students find their community through the many programs they offer by creating a supportive space for first generation, low income and/or students with documented disabilities here at Mizzou and encouraging them to grow academically, personally and professionally while providing a safe environment to navigate college. 

Funded solely by a $752,096 annual grant from the U.S. Department of Education, MU’s TRiO Student Support Services (SSS) Program serves 670 eligible undergraduate participants each year. TRiO SSS services include tutoring, advising, financial coaching, scholarship incentive, travel, community room, events, TSO: TRiO Student Organization and other campus partnerships. Once a student has applied and is accepted to the program, they are encouraged to take advantage of all TRiO SSS activities and services.  Below TRiO SSS students share their personal experiences interacting with the services and programs provided by TRiO SSS. 

TRiO SSS Tutoring – Allison Ahrens 

TRiO SSS tutoring is personalized to its students, offering  free 1-on-1 appointment-based tutoring. In addition, TRiO tutoring defaults to offering weekly, recurring appointments meaning students have built-in academic support all semester long. TRiO’s Academic Success Coordinator  matches students with a tutor who is cross trained in both tutoring best practices and learning strategies, allowing for students to build a relationship with a tutor who knows them and their approach to learning. 

When a biology class freshman year was getting difficult, Allison Ahrens from Linn Creek, Missouri, turned to the TRiO SSS 1:1 tutoring. As a freshman, Ahrens, the health sciences major on the pre-medicine track, learned about TRiO SSS from her advisor who shared the benefits participations would grant her. Her TRiO advisor later recommended that she check out their tutoring services for help in her classes. 

“Being a tutee has allowed me a much deeper understanding of the material in my courses. It has helped me be successful in my degree program and feel confident that I have what it takes to be successful in medical school,” Ahrens said. She has continued to use the service throughout her college career, and saw the results pay off in her STEM classes. Now a junior, she is extremely grateful for the support she has received from TRiO SSS. Her experience with the staff and resources has been monumental in her Mizzou journey. 

“Whether it be the various workshops held over the years, a specialized advisor, 1:1 tutoring or even just providing a community of students I can relate to, I would say my favorite memories have been how supported I have felt during my journey here at Mizzou,” Ahrens said. “I certainly think they have been my biggest cheerleaders here at Mizzou since the beginning.” 

TRiO SSS Advising – Jasmine “Jas” Kinyatti 

Jasmine “Jas” Kinyatti found more than just an advisor in TRiO SSS, she found a teammate who was with her every step of the way. She began using TRiO services in her first semester at Mizzou, but her TRiO advisor became especially meaningful during her second year. An industrial & systems engineering student from West County St. Louis, Missouri, Kinyatti reflected on the difficulties of that spring semester and how her interactions with her TRiO Advisor, Leyla helped her navigate those challenges. 

“What stood out to me was that she did not just give me the typical reassurance of, ‘It’s going to be okay.’ She showed me how we were going to make it okay,” Kinyatti said. “She sat down with me and helped me create an actual game plan for getting through the semester.”  

Whether it be personal, academic or social challenges, her advisor provided resources and a safe place to work through these challenges together. 

“I felt seen and comfortable talking to her, and that is something I really value in an advisor,” Kinyatti said.  

Her TRiO Advisor was not the only person cheering her on, but other TRiO SSS staff members as well, including TRiO SSS Director Stephanie Raymond.  

“I genuinely do not think I would have gotten through that semester in the way that I did without their support, and I am extremely grateful for both of them.” 

“TRiO SSS Advising has helped me grow beyond that one difficult semester. It has taught me about advocating for myself, asking for help and using the resources available to me instead of trying to handle everything alone.” Kinyatti said. “It introduced me to staff, programs, academic resources and opportunities that I might not have known about otherwise.” 

TRiO SSS Financial Coaching – Katherine Rosales

Managing personal finances in college can be stressful. Luckily for senior Katherine Rosales, TRiO SSS offers financial coaching. The animal sciences major first learned about TRiO SSS from her academic advisor. She then joined TRiO SSS and learned about the benefits of the program, including financial coaching. Rosales decided to take advantage of this service to learn more about managing her finances. 

“I first met with Marco, who helped me organize my budget and explained topics such as credit scores, building credit, student loans and more. After that, we started meeting regularly,” Rosales said. These 1:1 coaching sessions created a safe place for Rosales to understand concepts and create a path to reach better financial management. She continues with regular meetings with the new financial coach, Dr. Lorna Saboe-Wounded Head, navigating challenges such as health insurance with the reassurance of a coach who wants her to succeed. 

Regular sessions built a trusted relationship between Rosales and her financial coach. This made it easier to tackle complex topics or big challenges. 

“One of the things I appreciate most is that our financial coaches are funny and approachable while still being professional about the topics we discuss,” Rosales said. “They understand that students can face different circumstances and financial struggles, and they offer practical advice and options to help us overcome those challenges.” 

Rosales states that TRiO SSS has played a large role in her journey here at Mizzou. “I am really grateful for the opportunities, friendships and guidance the program has given me.” 

TRiO SSS Scholarship Incentive – Anyshya Hemphill 

For fourth year computer science and psychology student Anyshya Hemphill, TRiO SSS supported her at just the right time. The Kansas City, Missouri, native was introduced to the program her freshman year during a National Society of Black Engineers meeting where TRiO SSS was spoken of in high regard. Throughout her time, she had read about the scholarship incentive in the newsletter but did not immediately act. 

“I didn’t think much of getting the incentive because the support I was getting through the events and meetings were already supportive,” Hemphill said. The incentive program allows students to earn entries into a chance to win one of two $500 scholarships that will be applied to their Mizzou financial account. Earning entries is simple, with a list of TRiO SSS, Career & Graduate School, Academic, Study Abroad & Fellowship, Financial Literacy and Research activities provided. Hemphill took full advantage of these opportunities, saw the changes in her life and later received the scholarship incentive. 

“It supported me at the perfect time financially, but the benefits of attending the meetings were accruing their own reward,” she shared. Through academic tutoring, she became comfortable asking for help and grew her confidence to perform well academically. Financial literacy not only encouraged her to make better financial decisions but caused her to manage money with a conscious effort. Hemphill says that the TRiO staff have been just as vital as the programs they put on. 

“The TRiO staff truly are the best,” commented Hemphill. “Once they know you and you know them, they are incredibly resourceful and kind. They’ve made the value of college more than what I’d imagined it could be as a first-gen student.” 

TRiO Travel – Kya Maskill 

Traveling can be a stressful experience, but TRiO SSS helped Kya Maskill create lifelong memories on her trips across the country. A senior finance and economics major from Kansas City, Missouri, Maskill was first introduced to TRiO SSS during Summer Welcome. When classes started later that fall, she became involved in the program. It was through the newsletter that she was first introduced to TRiO Travel. 

“I was initially very nervous to apply because I hadn’t built a strong community at Mizzou yet, and I was also worried about managing my sleep-related disorder while traveling,” Maskill explained. But she did not let this fear stop her from applying. She was accepted into TRiO Travel and found the staff were ready to help her make the most of her trip. 

“Stephanie and the entire TRiO team were remarkably accommodating of my sleep disorder and made sure I felt supported every step of the way,” Maskill said. “Her genuine care and willingness to accommodate me meant the world.” 

These trips not only helped Maskill find a community and experience traveling but create lasting memories along the way. She shared that some of her favorite memories were made on spring break trips. Each year, TRiO takes a select number of students on an all-expenses paid trip to tour graduate/professional school programs outside of Missouri and connect with Mizzou alumni. 

“Traveling with TRiO gave me valuable exposure to various professional fields and graduate programs, which ultimately solidified my decision to pursue an MBA,” Maskill said. “It allowed me to make real connections and gain real insights into graduate programs across the country.” 

TRiO Community and TSO: TRiO Student Organization – Ramon Torres-Gomez 

For Ramon Torres-Gomez, TRiO SSS not only helped him in his schoolwork, but gave him a community and path to give back to the world around him. The second year pre-nursing student from Liberty, Missouri, first learned about TRiO SSS from his older brother who served as a TRiO Student Ambassador. Once Torres-Gomez was accepted into TRiO, he learned about the TRiO Student Organization (TSO) from his TRiO Advisor. TSO serves as an additional support system for its members. It offers events and opportunities for advocacy, cultural enrichment, financial support and advancements towards success and personal growth. 

“An event I really enjoyed was painting pumpkins in the community room,” Torres-Gomez said. Participating in events such as these created a stronger community bond around TRiO students. TSO also holds service events for members to give back to their community. Torres-Gomez noted that his favorite service activity with TSO was walking dogs for the Central Missouri Humane Society. 

“Some of my favorite memories with TRiO SSS are spending my time in the community room, chatting with other students about school and life,” Torres-Gomez said. TRiO students are encouraged to utilize the resources, activities and room located inside the Student Success Center. This is another way that TRiO SSS builds community around the student experience. He shared “It is a great place to hang out and complete homework!” 

These students are just a few examples of the many success stories that can be found in TRiO SSS. While they each used different programs, they all benefited from the community built within the service. TRiO SSS provided support to help these students thrive inside and out of the classroom. Each of the students mentioned above is active outside of the classroom in additional extracurricular activities other than TRiO SSS. They also have the support and resources to help plan their futures after Mizzou. TRiO SSS is not simply helping students survive the difficulties of college, they are working to make sure they thrive while at Mizzou and in their future career.