TRIO Student Support Services (SSS) brings hope and change to the students of Coker University.

The TRIO SSS program offers an array of services such as workshops, multicultural activities, graduate campus tours, and advising and counseling for students invested in their college careers and future. TRIO SSS Staff members include Rodney Tucker, Clarissa Jones, and Adell McCoy. 

“We want to provide additional support to students who meet our eligibility requirements including, but not limited to education, skills, resources, and support they need to be successful at Coker and beyond,” McCoy said. 

The program is a Title IV federally funded grant provided by the U.S. Department of Education. Students qualify if they are enrolled as a first-generation college, demonstrate financial need, or have a documented disability. They must also demonstrate academic need and be U.S. citizens or permanent residents.  

TRIO SSS’s counselors come to work each day ready to serve the students. Counselors Clarissa Jones and Rodney Tucker lead workshops and field trips across the state. The program offers students with financial aid information, career planning, graduate school visits, advising, and one-on-one tutoring.

“We go on culture trips, like going to the African American Museum in D.C. and the new one in Charleston,” Jones said. “We will often have workshops for stress, time management, and even etiquette.” 

Jade McDowell, a former TRIO SSS student at Coker, now works with TRIO SSS as an administrative assistant. 

She loved her time in TRIO SSS, recalling when her counselors would inform her about scholarships she could apply for.

Tucker says he has many students who aspire to go to medical school or graduate school but don’t realize the steps they need to take for the application process.

“(I love) to give back to the students,” Tucker said. “It’s about helping students who are consistently in a journey to be their best selves.” 

The team provides mentorship for each student, ensuring academic success. 

“If your GPA is lower than it should be, (counselors) will mark it and say something and get you to where you need to be,” McDowell said. “They even check up on alumni 10 years after graduation.”

McCoy wants interested students to know that there are no membership fees or additional costs. 

To join Student Support Services, students must complete an online TRIO SSS application. Once all application materials are received, candidates will be contacted for an interview. 

To learn more about TRIO Student Support Services, visit: https://www.coker.edu/offices-services/trio-sss/