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Carl Sandburg College student Ashley McKown of London Mills received the Outstanding Achiever Award from TRIO Student Support Services. "It means a lot to me to get this award," McKown says. "It will help with scholarships and on my resume."
McKown is the award's first recipient—this is the first year TRIO SSS awarded the Outstanding Achiever award. The winner is chosen by the TRIO SSS staff and is given to the student who has shown outstanding growth and achievement during their time in the TRIO SSS program.
Since TRIO SSS students are typically the first person in their families to attend college, many of them have a long way to go from the moment they walk in the door at CSC. They find the college process sometimes confusing and cumbersome because they have little to no experienced support at home. The idea behind this award is to highlight a student who has shown extraordinary growth personally, socially and academically since they have joined TRIO SSS.
McKown was fortunate that her mother attended Illinois Central College and earned a degree. Thus, she was able to provide some insight into the college process and suggested her daughter check out the TRIO program. She, along with McKown's father, was a victim of the Maytag closing.
"I'm glad I joined TRIO—they have helped me in so many ways, says McKown. "They made me realize how much help I could get with my studies, and they made sure I took all the right classes to graduate on time."
McKown is graduating in May with an associate in science degree. She will transfer to Monmouth College to study biology/pre-veterinary and hopes to do post-graduate work at the University of Illinois. She wants to have her own veterinary business.
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