MN advisor keeps college pathway open for 1st-generation students

BRAINERD — When Minnesota college students return this fall, some will be the first in their family's history to step foot on a campus. In the north-central region, a staff member at one school is helping to push aside obstacles for these students.

The federally funded TRIO program has been around since the Civil Rights era. It provides grants to higher-ed institutions and community groups as they support students from disadvantaged backgrounds with tutoring, financial aid guidance, and mentoring.

Julie Jo Larson has long done this work as the assistant director of student support services at Central Lakes College, and said TRIO is just as relevant today as it was decades ago.

"We still have students coming to us who neither parent finished a four-year degree," said Larson. "We have students who are coming to us from the farm fields in southern Minnesota. These kids, they know what they want to do. They just need help figuring out how to get from point A to point B."

She said showing dedication for this work is vital, as the Trump administration seeks to eliminate TRIO funding in the next federal budget.

The White House cites concerns about performance measures and accountability. But a bipartisan group of lawmakers in Congress has pushed back against funding threats, defending the track record of the outreach work.

A Senate panel recently rejected steep cuts to higher-education programs, including TRIO. Meanwhile, smaller high school graduating classes are putting pressure on college administrators to maintain enrollment numbers.

Larson said she hopes her passion for the job helps keep the Central Lakes campus filled with a diverse group of students eager to give college a try, despite the odds stacked against them.

"Maybe half or more of my students are over the age of 24," said Larson, "and when it gets to be graduation time, every single year, I get a parent that walks across the stage and some little kid yells, 'That's my mom,' or, 'That's my dad.'"

Larson, also a member of the Minnesota Association of Professional Employees, said she was inspired to take on this role as a former student who was assisted by the TRIO program.

She said life's challenges had almost convinced her to drop out — before her advisor motivated her to keep going.