Davis & Elkins College Upward Bound Academic Advisor and Resident Director for Student Life Chelsey Toms has been inducted as West Virginia TRIO president. Her term will continue through fall 2022.
Established by Congress, federal TRIO programs help low-income and first-generation students enter college and graduate while overcoming class, social and cultural barriers to higher education. WV TRIO is comprised of multiple institutions with the purpose of promoting equitable educational opportunities for all students regardless of race, ethnic background or economic circumstance by providing a forum for communication, advocacy and networking opportunities for TRIO professionals across the state.
In her role as president, Toms also will serve on the WV TRIO Executive Board and as a board member for the Mid-Eastern Association of Educational Opportunity Program Personnel (MEAEOPP) board. MEAEOPP is a regional association of educational opportunity personnel representing Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia.
“I know firsthand how TRIO can transform lives and families, leaving behind a legacy of educational opportunity and advancement,” Toms said. “I know that TRIO works, and it is a great honor to give back to the TRIO community as the academic advisor for the Davis & Elkins College Upward Bound programs and now president of WV TRIO. Every day I see how TRIO programs support middle and high school students as well as traditional and nontraditional college students. These students gain invaluable life skills in addition to academic resources to help them achieve their educational goals. I have seen my students use these skills to become leaders in their school and community, and I look forward to seeing where their journey takes them.”
A native of Huttonsville, Toms joined the D&E Upward Bound staff in 2011.
The Davis & Elkins College Upward Bound Program serves students from Barbour, Pendleton, Pocahontas, Randolph and Tucker counties.
Chelsey Toms
