Monday, April 22, 2013

Gregg Hashimoto's TRiO SSS Success Story

            I graduated from high school in 2007, started college the following semester at Windward Community College, and dropped out after that first semester of college. I took a couple of years off and went back to Kapiolani Community college in 08' and 09'. I dropped out again and took another 2 years off from school only to come back to Windward Community College in 2011. I was driven to make it work this time so I went to see the academic counselors. One of them saw my worrisome record and suggested I get tutoring which I had avoided during my previous college experiences. They had mentioned TRiO Student Support Services and I had never heard of that when I was attending WCC in 2007. The counselor walked with me to the Hale Na'auao building where TRiO SSS is located and introduced me to Ruby and Russell. They told me I could sign up for the TRiO program and get a personal tutor for no charge at all. That semester I got a tutor for math and passed all my classes. It's 2013 already and I've stayed in school since that first semester I started going to TRiO two years ago. I made good friends with the second tutor I had, we not only hang out in the TRiO center but also outside of school on occasion. He still gives me academic advice even though he's not tutoring me for a specific class anymore. Every semester I consider picking up another tutor if it fits into my schedule but I work in the college's bookstore on the days I don't have class so it's difficult. This semester, I have 3 classes back-to-back from 10am to 2:15pm so I don't get a lot of time to eat lunch but in between my 2nd and 3rd class I go straight to TRiO to buy something to eat then take it to my next class. Whenever I have spare time I go to TRiO to type out my papers and/or print them out.

            TRiO has a lot of resources that I'm thankful for and it's a center that brings people together like no other on campus.

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