My name is Paulina Hoong, and I'm a senior psychology major and cross-cultural studies concentrator from Fairmont, Minnesota. TRIO has been an incredibly influential in my life. Without the mentorship of my TRIO advisors and the support of the TRIO community, I would not have made it through my first few years at Carleton. At the end of sophomore year, I decided I wanted to give back to the TRIO community by becoming a TRIO Peer Leader.
My job is one of my favorite things I do on this campus. I get the opportunity to mentor first-year students, plan events, and raise awareness on issues related to socioeconomic status. My favorite part of my job is creating relationships with my students and helping them progress through their freshmen year. One challenge our team faced was getting people more interested in investing into the TRIO community. Through repackaging our former Fiesta Friday into Comfort Food Friday, we've seen attendance go up and we notice that a more tight-knit community has formed.
During my time at TRIO, I realized I love helping people. I want to continue doing something similar post-Carleton. I want to find a position where I can make an impact on others, whether it involves doing advocacy at a nonprofit or directly working with students.
