Celebrating National TRIO Day resonates deeply with the CoolSpeak team as a time to celebrate the transformative impact of federally funded college access programs on the lives of students across the country… including two of our own. CoolSpeak Founder and CEO Carlos Ojeda Jr. and CoolSpeaker Lilyan Prado Carrillo are proud TRIO alumni. 

You already know CoolSpeakers share our stories, so we wanted to shine a spotlight on our team’s stories to highlight how our team has a shared lived experience with the TRIO community.

Carlos, who you might know as Chu, participated in TRIO Talent Search, which made a lasting impact on his educational journey.   

What specific challenges were you facing in your educational journey before joining TRIO, and how did the program help you address them?

I don’t know if joining TRIO was the best word for it, but I’d say it was more like being drafted. After our neighborhood became unsafe to raise me, my parents packed me up, left everything we knew and loved, and moved from Newark, New Jersey to Pennsylvania. When my mother took me to the local elementary school to enroll me, they looked at her, heard her accent and our last name, and they put me in a bilingual class. There was one problem: I was fluent in English and Spanish. My parents intervened, but from that point on, my view of school changed.

School didn’t like me, so I didn’t like school. I was labeled a troublemaker, called garbage, and told I would never graduate. By the time I found my TRIO program, I was a lost kid who had long stopped dreaming and believing I could do any more than what I was told I was. I was full of potential that was unrealized and untapped. But the program quickly changed that.

What role did TRIO staff members play in your success? Are there any staff members you’d like to highlight for their support or mentorship?

The staff members and everyone I met through them completely changed my perspective on life. No longer was my vision limited to the four corners of my neighborhood. They taught me to look past the horizon. They told me that not only was I allowed to dream, but I was allowed to make it a reality. They were the first educators to love me and see me for who I was and could be. I wasn’t garbage; I was the hope and dream of my family. They taught me to believe in myself, gave me the tools to succeed, and were there every step of the way in success and failure. They showed me that persistence beats resistance every time.

What lessons or skills did you gain from TRIO that you still use today in your career or personal life?

In my earlier work as a college admissions rep and my work now with young people today, trying to inspire them to go to college. I lean on what TRIO did for me: 

• I focused on building a meaningful relationship with the students.
• I am authentic and transparent with them.
• I make sure they feel heard and seen.
• I inspire them to try and challenge them to overcome the obstacles.
• I let them know that I believe in them and have their back. 

That made all the difference for me.

How has your involvement with TRIO inspired you to give back to other students on their educational journey?

Because of TRIO I became a mentor in college, I became an admission counselor. Because of the program, I began speaking to students and sharing my story in hopes of inspiring others the way staff inspired me. Because of TRIO I became a youth speaker, I started CoolSpeak and we have inspired over a million students, parents and teachers.

What do you think is the most important thing the general public should understand about TRIO and its impact?

College access programs take students from all walks of life through various challenges, inspire them to be the very best version of themselves and provide the tools to make it a reality. Moreover, they promote a civic culture and community that drives kids to always find ways to give back to the communities that raised us. To change them and improve them. So, as National TRIO Day approaches, I implore everyone that if you want to make your community better and, by extension, this country better. Support them, and they will create the future leaders of tomorrow today!

Chu is how #TRIOWorks

During National TRIO Day and beyond, let’s continue to share stories of TRIO alumni to remind us of the profound difference these college-access programs make in the lives of students who might otherwise be left behind. From personalized mentorship to life-changing resources, these programs provide not just access to education but the tools and confidence to succeed far beyond the classroom.

If you are looking for a keynote speaker or program facilitator who shares the lived experience of your students, the CoolSpeak team is made up of a diverse group of speakers who bring authenticity, inspiration, and actionable insights to everything we do, helping students see what’s possible for their futures.