Stepping Stones

Maria Medina knows how important stepping stones are in the pursuit of higher education. The KU TRIO Talent Search program was an influential stepping stone in both of her children’s educational journeys. Her oldest daughter, Gloria, is currently enrolled in college, and her younger son, Inri, is an 11th-grade student at Washington High School in Kansas City Kansas Public Schools (KCKPS). For Maria, college exposure and career preparation are key elements of her children’s success, and Talent Search was able to offer services in both of these areas. Maria said the college visit trips were highlights of both of her children’s experience with Talent Search. She recalls fond memories of both children being able to visit Wichita State University’s campus. This experience provided her children with exposure to life on a college campus, including the dining hall experience and living in a residence hall. “It gave them that experience of actually being at college.”

Beyond just providing her kids exposure to a college campus, Talent Search was able to provide the necessary assistance and support to make college a reality. Staff ensured that her students were on track to graduate, and that they considered all options for reaching their college and career goals. Maria noted, “It’s a stepping stone in the sense that it gives students an opportunity that they didn’t have before. It helps them achieve the goals that they think were impossible to achieve. Now they can see themselves as achieving those goals.”

One of the goals of Talent Search is to ensure students and parents are equipped to advocate for the support they need throughout the college-going process. Maria remembers a particular instance where Inri needed to take additional courses to graduate, and because of Talent Search, he had the information and skills necessary to stay on top of his credit requirements. As a result, her kids are more knowledgeable about what they need to move from one step to the next. “I just wish we could have more funding for them [Talent Search] to have more kids. I believe there are so many kids out there that would push themselves a little bit harder if they knew there were these programs to help them out.”