TRiO Student Support Services (SSS) would like to recognize the outstanding accomplishments of its students. This month, we celebrate the efforts of Eddiezon Santiago.
“Eddie” is a proud scholar with an infectious smile, and has been a member of the TRIO program for multiple terms. His indelible curiosity is undergirded by an insatiable thirst for knowledge. As a lifelong learner whose fluid ability to wear multiple cloaks as a humanist and burgeoning STEM student with a 3.70 GPA garnering him Skyline College Honors, Eddie has thrived in Skyline College’s holistic and intersectional approach to education. He is majoring in Kinesiology, but is also interested in Psychology and someday serving as a physical therapist or counselor for underserved communities. Eddie’s passion for “repaying his community” has manifested in other ways—as he is oft the first to volunteer for community-building opportunities.
Eddie will share his perspective as a first-generation, college-bound student at two different seminars during this Saturday’s (February 21) National TRIO Day Conference, at Cañada College and as a CSI Peer Mentor. Eddie yields respect from various social groups on campus and became a Supplemental Peer Instructor within the Learning Center last semester. He is sincerely grateful for the myriad of learning opportunities that Skyline College has afforded him, and credits TRIO for “being his academic family”. In particular, Eddie notes that the stigma of being a first-generation, low-income student, while at times onerous, has not stifled his commitment to education—“as the relationships, connections, and genuine care for students makes TRIO feel like home.”
Eddie hopes to further climb the academic ladder by transferring into a four-year institution, targeting either USC, San Jose State University, or San Francisco State University. TRiO salutes Eddie for his sterling journey and look forward to celebrating his many achievements in the future!
Article by Arash Daneshzadeh
