TRIO SSS (Student Support Services) at Rio Hondo College aims to increase student college retention and graduation rates. It does this through providing individualized support, including counseling and advice, workshops, and financial aid information. The program provides support to low-income students, first-generation students, and/or students with disabilities.
TRIO SSS student participants meet regularly with their assigned advisor to create a Personal Success Plan that maps out their individualized academic milestones each semester. These plans include scheduling all required appointments in advance. This consists of counseling appointments, grade check-ins, academic success
workshops, assistance with the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), transfer applications and graduation petitions.
Students are required to meet with their counselor once per semester and with their advisor at least twice per semester. The TRIO SSS Team includes TRIO SSS Advisor Cynthia Pallini, TRIO SSS Program Manager Brenda Beza, and the assigned TRIO SSS Counselor.
For decades, Rio Hondo College has proudly served as a home for a vibrant network of TRIO Pre-College and College Programs, including Upward Bound, Talent Search, Student Support Services, and Student Support Services STEM—continuing its long-standing commitment to educational access and student success.
Beza reflects on the origins of these programs: “In the 1960s, President Lyndon B. Johnson declared a national ‘War on Poverty,’ aiming to give every American a fair shot at success. He believed that education was the most powerful way to break the cycle of poverty—and that belief sparked the creation of the TRIO Programs.”
Beza continues: “TRIO began as one of the first major federal efforts to make college more accessible for everyone. The first three programs—Upward Bound (1964), Talent Search (1965), and Student Support Services (1968)—formed what became known as “TRIO.” Over the years, the TRIO family grew to include programs like the Educational Opportunity Centers, Ronald E. McNair Postbaccalaureate Program, Upward Bound Math and Science, and Veterans Upward Bound—all designed to open doors to higher education.”
Since the year 2002 at Rio Hondo College, the TRIO SSS Program has assisted students with their college journeys and future plans. For example, TRIO SSS has helped alumni siblings, Maria Martinez and Jorge Martinez, achieve their higher education goals and dreams. Both siblings were low-income, first-generation students, and their parents came from Jalisco and Michoacan, Mexico.
The siblings have not accessed any other support services prior to joining TRIO SSS. “TRIO SSS was the first and only program they approached, and it quickly became a lifeline for their academic journey,” Beza said. Maria was the first of the siblings to apply for the program. She decided to do so after hearing Pallini present at an in-class presentation about the program. At that point, she discovered how TRIO’s personalized counseling and academic advisement could be helpful. This is when she encouraged her brother Jorge to join.
Beza recalls a defining moment in Jorge’s journey: “Flor Sandoval, a TRIO SSS Counselor, told him, ‘Stop looking at other people’s grass; focus on your own and water it.’” Years later, Jorge reflected on the impact of those words, telling Beza, “That was truly a turning point for me. I realized I needed to focus on the present—not the past—and appreciate what was right in front of me.”
With the guidance of the TRIO SSS Program, the siblings navigated college life with confidence. At Rio Hondo College, Maria and Jorge each earned an associate’s degree. Maria in Social Work and Human Services, and Jorge in Business Administration, laying the foundation for the next chapter of their academic and professional journeys.
Maria transferred to Cal State University Los Angeles (CSULA) and earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work in the year 2021. Maria currently works as a Lead Case Manager and earns $72,000 a year while making an impact in her community. Jorge transferred to Cal Poly Pomona and graduated in the year 2021 with a Bachelor of Science in Accounting. Jorge currently works for the Internal Revenue Service as a Revenue Agent and earns over $100,000 a year.
Their story exemplifies the transformative impact of TRIO SSS. For students like Maria and Jorge, TRIO SSS provided the support and guidance needed to overcome challenges, stay on track, and turn their educational dreams into reality.
The TRIO SSS Program is located in the Student Services Building, Room 140 next to Financial Aid. The office is open Monday through Thursday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Friday 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
