TRIO programs help Panthers rise to new heights

“If there’s anything that changed my life, it’s TRIO.”

When alumna Arya B. Nair ’25 began at FIU as a first-generation college student, she felt lost and overwhelmed. An email about the Golden Scholar Program from the Office of Student Access & Success offered her a lifeline by introducing her to TRIO – federal programs that support underserved students in accessing higher education.

“The best thing about TRIO is [that] they understand where you’re coming from, what your background is. They always treat you as family,” Nair explains.

Since 1992, FIU has hosted the U.S. Department of Education TRIO programs designed to support the academic success of historically underrepresented students, including first-generation. In addition to three pre-collegiate programs (Upward Bound, Upward Bound Math-Science and Educational Talent Search), FIU hosts Student Support Services (SSS) and the Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement Program. While SSS aims to increase college retention and graduation among its participants, the McNair Scholars Program prepares students for graduate education; it is available to undergraduate students who major in Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, or Psychology.

FIU recently celebrated National TRIO Day on Saturday, February 28. Read about three Panthers whose experiences with TRIO have enabled their college and career ascents.

Arya B. Nair soars to success

Now working as a manufacturing engineer for Boeing Defense Space and Security, Nair explains how her involvement with TRIO SSS and McNair helped her secure this prestigious position: “With TRIO, I wasn’t just taught to do research, get a good grade but to also [become] a good leader.”

Boeing was very interested in Nair’s leadership skills – skills that she cultivated through opportunities that arrived via TRIO. Nair participated in a D.C. fly-in to advocate for TRIO policies on Capitol Hill. Discovering a passion for policy advocacy, she successfully applied for and completed the Honors College Hamilton Scholars Program, a selective initiative that offers students professional development, mentorship and opportunities to make an impact in an issue area. Nair elected to work with the U. S. Economic Development Administration.

TRIO SSS and McNair also fostered a passion for service in Nair. As an undergrad, she served as vice president of the Student Service Club and council president for the Registered Student Organization.

Nair has just been accepted into the Stanford Honors Program for a Master of Science in mechanical engineering. Boeing will fully sponsor her degree. She hopes to one day earn a Ph.D. and become a public university chair so that she can pay it forward.

“If there’s anything that’s given me opportunities, [it’s] education. Through TRIO, they teach you how important education is, how much it will change your life.” Understanding the power of this engine for upward mobility, she concludes, “I want to give back what TRIO gave to me to [future] students.”

Claudia Benitez charts a course to higher education

Honors College student Claudia Benitez went from zero plans of attending college to envisioning herself as a college professor, courtesy of TRIO.

“I had no plans of coming to college. I graduated high school and [thought], ‘I’m going to work two jobs, help my parents, and then figure it out from there’,” Benitez says.

Thanks to a friend who helped her reconsider, Benitez enrolled at Miami Dade College (MDC) before transferring to FIU. Now a psychology major working as a student assistant at the STEM Transformation Institute lab, Benitez is in the process of applying to various doctoral programs. She credits TRIO SSS and McNair for giving her the confidence to pursue a career path that never before seemed attainable.

“I knew I wanted to do something as a professor or in the education sphere, but I had no clue how. I didn’t think I was equipped or capable of doing anything doctoral level,” Benitez explains.

Having completed research projects, presented at undergraduate conferences and worked at the School R.E.A.D.Y. Lab with the support of TRIO, Benitez feels ready to move forward with her studies. She is grateful to TRIO for showing her the value of “persistence” and offering her the “reassurance that [she] was missing.”

Reflecting on her experiences with TRIO, Benitez proudly states, “I fell in love with education. I fell in love with trying. I fell in love with succeeding and giving it my all and seeing the fruit of my [labor].”

Shayir Landers builds a healthier world

Alumnus Shayir Landers ’25 is about to pursue a doctorate in virology and gene therapy at the Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences. His offer at this prestigious institution includes a five-year internal fellowship and a Dean’s Fellowship Award for two years. “Being able to achieve this is because of my involvement with TRIO.”

Before he became involved with FIU TRIO, Landers had an idea about his future, but not one that would realize his full potential: "I’m going to get my bachelor’s and then become a medical technologist or do something in biomedical science. I didn’t really know about PhDs or the possibility of one before I joined McNair.”

Through his involvement with TRIO SSS and McNair, Landers discovered the exciting possibility of “research as a career.” After transferring to FIU from MDC, Landers continued his previous research on CRISPR-based gene therapy targeting HIV-1 through McNair. Afterward, he secured a MARC U*STAR scholarship at FIU, before landing the distinguished Bernard and Sophie Gould Summer Research Program in Biology internship at MIT.

Landers praises TRIO for preparing him for these opportunities and now doctoral study. “Being surrounded by genius talent (such as Arya) elevated my expectations [of] myself and strengthened my belief that I could compete for national research opportunities.” From tutoring to graduate school application assistance to community support, TRIO has helped Landers succeed every step of the way.

“TRIO is a family," he concludes. "I don’t really see it as a program. It was definitely life changing.”