When Warwick resident Katty Nichols lost her job in 2018 she did two things. She promised her kids and herself that she would never be out of work again and she enrolled at CCRI.

During her time at CCRI she has been part of the college’s TRIO program which provides “enhanced academic and other support services to low-income, first-generation students and/or college students with disabilities to increase students’ retention and graduation rates; facilitate their transfer from two- to four-year colleges; and foster an institutional climate supportive of the success of low-income and first-generation college students and individuals with disabilities,” according to a CCRI press release.

Last Tuesday U.S. Senator Jack Reed visited the Providence campus to learn more about the program after CCRI was awarded two five-year TRIO grants from the U.S. Department of Education totaling $7.4 million to provide opportunities to future students.

“TRIO helps students acclimate to college life and prepares them to succeed in the classroom, on campus, and beyond,” Reed said in a statement. “Through tutoring,  skills workshops, and other support services, this program can be a real lifeline for first-generation college students. I am proud of the work CCRI is doing and will continue fighting to ensure more deserving students have the opportunity to attend college and the resources to afford it.”

CCRI’s TRIO Student Support Services programs, known as ACCESS to Opportunity, were established 40 years ago and have supported thousands of first-generation and low-income students in finding academic success by providing eligible students with a comprehensive continuum of support, according to a press release.

Services include a structured first-year experience; a project-specific Student Success Seminar; in-depth, proactive academic advising; professional tutoring; financial aid advising and application assistance; a financial literacy workshop series; and ongoing transfer advising. Additional services include ongoing career development – highlighted by workforce exploration – as well as civic engagement, and social integration and cultural experiences.

Nichols fell under the category as a first generation student. Her mother worked as a teacher in Venezuela but only received a high school level education and her dad only completed a sixth grade education in Venezuela.

When she graduates in December with her associate’s degree in nursing she will be the first in her family to graduate college.

She plans on transferring to URI to continue her bachelors degree in nursing education, and possibly a masters or PhD.

During her time at CCRI, she has been appreciative of the program.

“Having the extra support from the program is great. I can count on them for advising, and tutoring whenever I needed,” she said. “They have helped me with choosing the right classes and gave me the tools to choose where to transfer to.”

CCRI graduate, and Warwick resident Jai’la Stuckey learned about ACCESS during an student ambassador visit to Village Green Virtual where she attended high school junior and senior year. Previously she attended Pilgrim High School.

“Being a first generation student with learning impairments, I was intrigued by the resources and one-on-one support Access provided,” said Stuckey.

Stuckey is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and hopes to become a behavioralist and work within the early intervention/research aspect of the field.

“If all goes well, I’ll be graduating in 2022-2023 then off to grad school to pursue my Master’s degree,” Stuckey said. CCRI President Meghan Hughes said the college is thankful to have received the funding.

“Our TRIO programs have proven to be a critical resource that provides students with access to the programs and support services they need to be successful college students,” she said.