![\"Sonjah](\"http:\/\/commons.trincoll.edu\/reporter-spring2019\/files\/2019\/06\/1823-Sonja_Dessalines-SMS_3274.jpg\")
You could say that Sonjah Dessalines \u201922 has taken Trinity by storm. In just her first year, she served as a representative for the Trinity College Black Women\u2019s Organization. She served on the Black History Month committee. She was selected for the Catalyst Leadership Corps, which combines leadership training with a paid internship in the city of Hartford. She also interned with the admissions office as part of the Multicultural Recruitment Team.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have a lot in store for Trinity,\u201d Dessalines says. \u201cI look forward to sharing my talents while completing my bachelor\u2019s degree in economics.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dessalines is the recipient of an 1823 Scholarship, a merit-based program for academically talented students who also exhibit extraordinary character. Named for the year the college was founded, it offers special opportunities for students to make the most of their Trinity experience. As of spring 2019, 135 students are 1823 Scholars. In addition to scholarship funding, these students are invited to events with President Joanne Berger-Sweeney, enjoy select networking opportunities with alumni, and gain access to paid internships in Hartford and individual career and graduate school counseling sessions.<\/p>\n
PREDICTING SUCCESS<\/strong><\/p>\n The 1823 Scholarship is the brainchild of Vice President for Enrollment and Student Success Angel P\u00e9rez, who came to the college in 2015. \u201cFrom my first days at Trinity, I told our admissions team that we were not just looking for more applications but for the right applications,\u201d he notes. \u201cWe\u2019ve been working to foster a genuine interest in Trinity among students who understand what is special about studying the liberal arts in an urban setting.\u201d The program is definitely helping to attract these students. \u201cWe\u2019re admitting more students who want to be here and who possess the characteristics that predict success in college: grit, persistence, curiosity, and a love of learning.\u201d<\/p>\n That includes students such as Marl\u00e9n Miranda \u201920, who founded Girls 4 Change while she was in high school in San Diego, California. \u201cThe group empowers young Latina women to pursue higher education and leadership positions,\u201d Miranda explains. At Trinity, she mentors first-generation college students and serves on an advisory board that offers them support. \u201cLast year, I lived in a first-year dorm to provide support for first-year students who come from traditionally underrepresented backgrounds,\u201d she says. Miranda also is part of P.R.I.D.E. (Promoting Respect for Inclusive Diversity in Education).<\/p>\n Junior year finds Miranda abroad. \u201cThe first semester, I was with the School for International Training, where I was invited to join the honors program. I visited Chile, Nepal, and Jordan, conducting a research project on gender-based violence,\u201d she says. Miranda, also a George M. Ferris Scholar, stayed in Spain for the spring semester, studying at Trinity\u2019s program at Universitat Pompeu Fabra in Barcelona.<\/p>\n LIVING UP TO ITS PROMISE<\/strong><\/p>\n Now four years old, the 1823 Scholarship has made Trinity an attractive option, especially for students from middle-income families who may not qualify for financial aid but for whom college costs are a stretch financially.<\/p>\n Among them is Dessalines, who also is a Robert W. Barrows Memorial Scholar. \u201cThe support from Trinity helped me venture out of my comfort zone,\u201d says the native of Conyers, Georgia. \u201cAnd once I got to campus, the Multicultural Affairs Office and the Center for Student Success helped me in getting comfortable at Trinity.\u201d<\/p>\n For Fernandez Family Bantam Bold 1823 Scholar Jack Carter \u201921, one visit was all it took for him to decide on Trinity. \u201cI wasn\u2019t interested initially in attending a small college. I had been looking at big universities,\u201d says Carter, of Middleton, Massachusetts. \u201cThen I visited Trinity and changed my mind. I felt like I could be at home at Trinity.\u201d<\/p>\n And Carter has made himself quite at home. He is the community service chair for Trinity\u2019s chapter of Kappa Sigma fraternity, where he coordinates activities including Halloween on Vernon, a trick-or-treat event for area youth; a dance-a-thon for Connecticut Children\u2019s Medical Center; and a city cleanup for KNOX, an environmental group based in Hartford. Outside of his fraternity, Carter is a barista at Peter B\u2019s, plays club basketball, and has applied to be an orientation leader. \u201cOne of the best things I did was get involved,\u201d he reflects. \u201cThe more involved you are, the better your experience. I want to share that insight with first-year students.\u201d<\/p>\n P\u00e9rez thought the 1823 Scholarship program would be successful, but even he has been surprised by just how successful. \u201cThe first year we offered the scholarship, I thought it would be great if we could attract 20 students with it. My jaw dropped when 50 of them accepted our offer of admission,\u201d P\u00e9rez notes. \u201cIt\u2019s also geographically diversified our student body. And the program has lived up to its promise for engagement: 1823 Scholars are much more engaged with Trinity and Hartford.\u201d He adds that they are overrepresented in community-based learning courses and in the Catalyst Leadership Corps.<\/p>\n The 1823 Scholarship is a prime example of the extraordinary difference that scholarships can make. Securing such support is a key source of daily inspiration for Vice President for College Advancement Michael Casey. \u201cRaising money for financial aid is a key objective for the college and our office,\u201d he says. \u201cThe 1823 Scholarship is part of a larger strategy to make Trinity more accessible and more appealing to top students from all socioeconomic backgrounds.\u201d<\/p>\n As the college\u2019s chief fundraiser, Casey may want to check back in with Sonjah Dessalines in a few years. \u201cAt Trinity, they stress that with a liberal arts education, it doesn\u2019t matter what you major in,\u201d she says. \u201cIt\u2019s what you learn and the work you put in that propels you to your next step in life. My ambition is to open a restaurant,\u201d she adds before calling out a devoted 1980 Trinity graduate. \u201cI know I will and eventually become Trinity\u2019s next Danny Meyer.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Merit-based program enriches talent and engagement at Trinity By Maura King Scully You could say that Sonjah Dessalines \u201922 has taken Trinity by storm. In just her first year, she served as a representative for the Trinity College Black Women\u2019s Organization. She served on the Black History Month committee. She was selected for the Catalyst … <\/p>\n![\"Marl\u00e9n](\"http:\/\/commons.trincoll.edu\/reporter-spring2019\/files\/2019\/06\/1823marlenTrin_140219_133.jpg\")
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/commons.trincoll.edu\/reporter-spring2019\/files\/2019\/06\/1823-1452.jpg\")