Logan Bishop is a Western Iowa Tech Community College (WITCC) graduate who grew up in a working-class family. In 2020, he enrolled at WIT, and thanks to TRIO, he graduated in 2022 prepared for the next step at the University of South Dakota (USD). Today, he’s completing degrees in finance and computer science while already working as a data scientist.
Logan credits TRIO with smoothing the transition between schools. Staff made sure all his credits transferred—something that is not guaranteed and can leave students years behind. TRIO also organized his first tour of USD, giving him a vision of what was possible. Without this kind of guidance, many students stumble at the transfer stage and never recover.
TRIO did more than handle logistics. Logan gained leadership experience by being a peer mentor and tutoring other students. These opportunities built skills he now uses to lead projects in the professional world. Financially, TRIO scholarships covered summer classes, relieving stress and letting him focus on learning instead of bills.
Most importantly, Logan says, TRIO gave him community. He built friendships that continue today and found encouragement when he most needed it. For first-generation students, that sense of belonging often makes the difference between staying in school and dropping out.
Logan’s story is proof that TRIO/SSS works. It creates leaders, builds networks, and provides the safety net that ensures hard-working students don’t slip through the cracks.
TRIO is an investment in talent, in community strength, and in the promise of higher education. Supporting TRIO means supporting stories like Logan’s. It means ensuring that the next first-generation student, the next working-class graduate, and the next leader in the making has the tools and community they need to succeed.