In October 2024, I had the opportunity to travel to Anchorage, Alaska to receive the Friends of NAEOP Pearl M. Hill Memorial Scholarship, along with having the privilege of sharing a few words about how much it meant to me. It was my first time traveling to Alaska and I couldn’t have been more humble to experience so many firsts. I left for Alaska on an early Sunday morning and had a layover in Seattle, but before I knew it we were hovering over Anchorage, Alaska. The view was unbelievable, and I felt so grateful. Once we arrived, we checked into the conference hotel and walked over to the check-in to get our name tags. I met several of my TRIO specialist’s friends there. After that, we headed downtown to see the city. We went into a beautiful museum, planetarium, and eventually got brunch. Later that day, I was able to attend the networking session they had in a conference room, which had a balcony overlooking a massive glacier and mountain range. I was fortunate enough to be introduced to inspiring people who had the most amazing stories! Once it was over, I headed to the conference room to practice my speech for the next day.
That Monday was the first day of the conference, and I felt so nervous as I walked into the conference room. As the conference began, I started to learn more about NAEOP and how special it was to be held in Alaska. We then were sent to different workshops where I was able to learn more about TRIO. Suddenly, it was time for the luncheon. My hand began to shake as I picked up my glass of water, while I watched more and more recipients give their incredible speeches. I felt an immense amount of support when my TRIO specialist reminded me that every single person in the room wanted to see me succeed and was there to support me. I went on the stage and felt proud as I had traveled all this way to share my story. My speech included my TRIO story, which was very personal and hard for me to share, but I knew that it meant it would be a powerful story once I shared it. I felt so honored to hear the applause and to see some even give me a standing ovation. I was congratulated by those sitting down at my table, but had to leave shortly after to catch my flight back home. As I flew alone back home, I couldn’t have felt more proud of myself to be in the position that I was in; I was traveling all by myself with a scholarship I had worked incredibly hard for. I am beyond grateful to have had this opportunity to share my story and experience many firsts as a first-generation student.