SIC Student Support Services TRiO Program

08/11/2025

TRIO Welcome Back Event: Wednesday, August 27. 10:00 am - 3:00 pm. A-Building Hallway and TRIO Lab A-153. Stop by and pick up your Fall schedule. Talk with Advisor Angie about the Grant Aid Competition. (Be sure to sign up your contract if you would like to compete!). Who's Invited? If you were a TRIO student last year or think you might qualify...stop by and see us. First-Generation, Low-Income, Disabled.

05/19/2025

05/12/2025

Lunch at the Lake with Brittany and Kaje. Glen O Jones Lake, May 9, 2025.

05/12/2025

05/01/2025

Congratulations Chris!

The Richard Edward Dunk Jr. Memorial Scholarship was awarded by his daughter Angie Dunk to Chris Adams of Harrisburg.

04/16/2025

Tomorrow we are showing our film for April (Campus Pride Month)! And it is… [drumroll, please]: Brokeback Mountain (2005). I’m sure you’ve seen the memes, heard the quotes, but have you ever actually seen the movie? Here’s your chance. Join us tomorrow (4/17) in the TRIO lab (A153) – the showing starts at 1:00 PM, discussion to follow!

Hope to see you all there! ~~ Kaje Questelle, TRIO Retention Specialist

04/16/2025

2025 SIC TRIO Honors Luncheon, April 16th. TRIO All-Stars honored, Skylar Gentles and Kayla Stewart. Guest Speaker Isaiah Thomas, former SIC TRIO student, Professional basketball player, Owner and founder of Watch it Pay Off Clothing, and motivational speaker.

03/21/2025

Don't miss Kaje's workshop on Stress Management! Wednesday, March 26 at 2:00 pm. TRIO Lab. Kaje is the TRIO Retention Specialist! See you there!

03/06/2025

Forensic Falcons Win at State

SIC’s Forensic Falcons finished in first place at the IIFA-IL State championship held February 28-March 1st at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, Illinois. The Falcons earned top sweepstakes awards, top speaker awards and multiple individual awards in interpretation and public address.

Second year student Rachel Russell was among the students competing this weekend. She notes, “We give our all to these competitions, our entire beings into our performances. It’s very satisfying to see all our hard work pay off”

Coach Rachel Parish agrees. "I was incredibly proud of our team at State. The State competition is the best of the best in Illinois, and our students had a fantastic showcase of southern Illinois' talent."

Each competition builds to the 2025 Phi Rho Pi National Tournament in Norfolk, Virginia. The team is coached by Jenny Billman, Paul Cummins, and Rachel Parish.
Individual results from the tournament are as follows.

Rachel Russel, Norris City: 5th individual sweepstakes, 6th prose interpretation, 2nd speech to entertain, 3rd dramatic interpretation, Champion in duo interpretation (with partner Abby Zirkelbach), 3rd duo interpretation (with partner Erica Johnson)

Abby Zirkelbach, Marion: Champion in informative speaking, Champion in duo interpretation (with partner Rachel Russell), 2nd in dramatic interpretation,

Grant Dooley, Harrisburg: 2nd prose interpretation, 5th open communication analysis.

Erica Johnson, Equality: 3rd duo interpretation (with partner Rachel Russell), 3rd prose interpretation

Francesca Messerschmidt, Harrisburg: 3rd in persuasion, 4th in program oral interpretation, 2nd in communication analysis

Photo: Front: Abby Zirkelbach. Bach, L-R: Emery Stricklin, Francesca Messerschmidt, Grant Dooley, Erica Johnson, Rachel Russell