By Liz Swem —
Recently, I had the pleasure of being one of a few TRIO Students to go to University of Cincinnati for the Grad School Exploration Day Trip. TRIO is one of the student resources on Miami Regionals campuses for students who are first-generation college students, are income-eligible, or have a disability. They help provide resources for these students to ensure they are able to graduate with a four-year degree with as little debt as possible. They also connect students with resources to help them feel supported in their academic journey in ways they might not otherwise. One of those ways is by providing opportunities like the UC Graduate School trip. Such events can help students who otherwise might not consider themselves for graduate school get a sense of whether it really is the right move for them, and help them understand what kind of support and funding there is available for graduate school.
The day started off simply, with a group of TRIO students boarding a twelve-passenger van to The University of Cincinnati. This was arranged by Lois Brown, the current TRIO director and one of our chaperones. We headed left Hamilton just after 8 am that morning and the drive, while foggy, was a lovely trip filled with warmth and camaraderie amongst the six students and two chaperones. Lois made sure we had snacks in case for the drive, and most of us were dressed warmly or brought something to keep us warm on the way.
Once we got into Cincinnati, Lois made sure to point out special features of the city while we made our way to the UC’s campus. Once there, we were directed to park and wait for our Graduate School student ambassador. She arrived promptly, greeted us warmly, and led us to the University Pavilion, where Admissions and Academic Advising are housed. It was a grand building on its own, even under construction for aesthetic purposes, and comparable to some of the medium-sized halls on Miami’s Oxford Campus. But even still, it was rather small and paled in comparison to the rest of the buildings and halls that filled the landscape around it.
Once inside the Pavilion, we were led to one of the presentation rooms where the staff introduced themselves and began getting acquainted with our interests and our reasons for looking into graduate school. One of the staff members who greeted us, in fact the coordinator of the department who hosted us, was even a Miami alumni. During the rest of the presentation, we were given a great deal of information about numerous UC graduate programs (almost 400 in all) and the colleges that make house all of these programs.
Afterward, we went on a campus tour with a different student ambassador, and spent time exploring some of the many halls that we would have access to if we were to become graduate students there. Many of the halls had amazing architecture and were filled with students bustling about for what, for them, was just another Friday on campus. Outside in one of the quads, we even got to witness some of the students working for the campus’s Service Dog Training Program. In that program, students are hired to train growing dogs to become potential service dogs for the disabled.
Once our tour concluded, we made our way to one of the dining halls on campus to receive a complimentary meal from the college, served buffet-style with many different options and food-cultures to choose from. Everyone was able to find something that not only they liked Personally, I had a little bit of quite a few things. But, the highlight of my meal was undoubtedly the salad bar. One of my favorite refreshing meals, salads are a staple in my life, and this one definitely didn’t disappoint. I also recommend the potato samosas.
After this we were led back to the presentation room in the Pavilion where we got to ask any final questions and say our goodbyes and thank you’s to the staff who had so generously welcomed us. From there, we were able to leave campus and go on a tour of Cincinnati Music Hall with Friends of Music Hall tour guides—a great bonus to our UC trips.
After an amazing time spent in Cincinnati, we began to make our way home around 2:30 that afternoon and I can say, personally, I have never been happier to see Miami’s Hamilton Campus. While UC is definitely on my short list of potential graduate schools, I am grateful for the Miami Regionals—and the TRIO program especially—for allowing us this opportunity, and for being able to call the Regionals home while I work toward completing my Bachelor’s degree.