Talent spotted by TRiO at East High School

When you think of the typical A-student, you might think of the pigtailed kid whose eager arm was up in the air from kindergarten on, ready with the answers.

Though she's an A-student now, Desiree Rodriguez doesn't quite fit that mold. Born in the Dominican Republic, she moved to Alaska with her family when she was 10. She hadn't had the opportunity to attend traditional elementary school in the Dominican Republic and got her first taste of classroom-learning when she enrolled with the Anchorage School District.

Her first hurdle? Learning English. "You learn a lot from watching TV, especially cartoons," she said. After that, everything just...clicked. It all made sense, with the exception of math, which was tougher for her to master than English.

At school she was eager to make up for lost time. "When I came here, I started learning about a lot of things," Desiree said. "It kind of opened my mind up and I just wanted to continue without stopping." And, indeed, she's been making plans for graduate school.

Becoming college-bound

But by the time Desiree hit high school she was a top student. That's where the TRiO Educational Talent Search program found her-quietly excelling at East High School. Thanks to her writing, she'd previously caught the attention of two teachers-her English teacher and a sex-ed teacher. Both were pushing the idea of college when she connected with TRiO.

"TRiO guided the way, like a friend. They made me think about college," she said. "Nobody else was talking about it." As a young girl, she'd dreamed about becoming a lawyer or doctor, like her dad had been in the Dominican Republic. Then in high school, she took her first psychology class and knew she'd found her field. She also knew she had so much more to learn.

TRiO-and her own exceptional grades-helped Desiree bridge that divide between high school and becoming the first person in her family to attend college in the U.S.

Dr. Kim Patterson, director of Student Support Services (another federally-funded program hosted by UAA that falls under the TRiO umbrella), became one of Desiree's mentors.

"She is an example of persistence," he said. "We coach to persist and not give up. That's Desiree." Her first year on campus she was in a manual wheelchair. "You can imagine a person trying to navigate campus in the snow in a non-powered chair."

With help from Disability Support Services, Desiree was able to advocate for better pathway maintenance. She was also able to upgrade to a powered chair, making campus more easily navigable.

Staying close to home

Desiree is now a junior. She's never wavered from her goal to study psychology, putting her on track to graduate with UAA's Class of 2016. Thanks to her exceptional grades, she's been able to maintain scholarship and grant eligibility and will graduate with little debt. For now, she's enjoying her social psychology class, learning how the things we think and feel and do are influenced by social interactions.

She already has her eye on a couple graduate programs in counseling or clinical psychology, at UAA and at Alaska Pacific University. She's hoping to stay local so she can be close to her family while she continues her studies.

"I have three brothers, younger ones. The youngest is 10," she said. With both parents working full-time, she's been minding the youngest since he was a baby. She smiles when she talks about him. "He's always next to me, even when I'm doing homework." Of the three, he's the most like her with his love for school. "He's really smart."

Desiree also has two birds-cockatiels Lori and Mia-she wouldn't want to leave behind when she goes off to grad school. "It's the most relaxing part of my day, when one is on top of my shoulder and another is on my head. They're very entertaining," she said with a laugh.

Dr. Patterson considers Desiree one of TRiO's success stories. So much so, in fact, that he's convinced her to be a speaker at the annual TRiO Day of Service on Friday, Feb. 20.

"I've seen her grow from a person who is very shy and withdrawn to a person who is willing to share her ideas," he said. Hers is a story that can help other TRiO students find the strength to persist and thrive.

Learn more about TRiO and TRiO Day here.

Written by Jamie Gonzales, UAA Office of University Advancement