January 4, 2019 is a big day for Trinity.  In the morning we will celebrate with our distinguished alumna Speaker-of-the-House-designate Nancy Pelosi ’62 in an event that will be broadcast that evening on MSNBC.  But another huge event about very high achievement will also take place at 5 pm on January 4 — Commencement for our winter graduates!  More than 200 Trinity Women and Men will receive their degrees and join Nancy Pelosi and nearly 14,000 other Trinity graduates in the great family of Trinity alumnae and alumni. Congratulations to all!

I invited students who are graduating to share their stories, and as always, these short essays are a great tribute to the hard work, persistence, courage and quest for academic excellence that our students manifest each day.  Please join me in congratulating these students;

I began my academic journey at Trinity Washington University in August of 2011. At the time, I was a recent high school graduate, eighteen years old, and ready to hit the ground running. I never would’ve imagined that I would commence from Trinity Washington University not once, but twice. I received my bachelor’s degree from Trinity University in 2015. I was still hungry for education and immediately following commencement, I applied to Trinity again, this time, in hopes of receiving a masters degree in School Counseling. Eager and nervous, I started my graduate degree program at Trinity in August of 2015. I was pleased with myself regarding my recent academic success and I was overjoyed to begin graduate school. In 2016, as I approached my second year in the program, I received some of the most shocking news, I was pregnant.  Puzzled and petrified, I knew that I had some choices to make. As I weighed my options, I thought about things, but none of them involved quitting school or giving up. At nine months pregnant, I sat in class completing a group project, knowing that on the following day, I would be admitted into the hospital to deliver my son via scheduled C-section. I returned to school two weeks after giving birth, determined to finish the educational journey I started, not just for myself at this point, but also for my son.  My academic journey since becoming a mom has not been easy. I have had many ups and downs. However, I rose to the occasion, and with the support of my family and friends, I was able to earn my second Trinity degree. I am proud to say that on January 4, 2019, I will receive my masters of arts degree in School Counseling Urban Youth. God has truly blessed me.

Being a transfer student from Delaware State University, I never thought Trinity would be home for me to finish my degree. I left Delaware State because my grandfather became sick with cancer and I wanted to be closer to him. So, once I found out I had to get the ball rolling and find a school closer to home. I had to choose from Trinity, UDC, and Catholic University. Of course Trinity was my first pick, but I didn’t know much about the school. Research had to be done, so I could find out more. I found out that the school was all girls and that alone made me happy because I could focus more. I am happy that I picked Trinity because I have met great professors, financial aid counselors, and advisors. Actually, I never thought Trinity would have become home for me but I am glad I have chosen this University. At Trinity, I am majoring in Human Relations and minoring in Forensic Psychology. When I graduate I will be becoming a Case Manager caring for kids or immigrants. I am thankful for spending these last four years at Trinity Washington University.

I grew up in the 60’s and 70’s in the North of France. The place of women at that time was still much in evolution, and the traditional gender roles were still widely practiced. I struggled to convince my parents to let me enroll in the Université Catholique de Lille, in the Education program. I completed my degree in 1984. The second phase of my life included meeting the father of my children, an American man. This is when I came to the US. From 1985 to 2015, I raised two children of my own, and taught French to various Washington DC communities. At the same time, I went through an entire personal awakening, with a motivation to pursue a higher degree, and make a career switch. The mission remains to help out in the community, where I have been living for over 30 years now. Today, I am graduating with a whole lot of positive qualities, I have developed on my own, such as: self-confidence, integrity, gentle assertion in any group, and a boundless open mind towards others. I am looking at continuing my contribution to this local society, and enjoy a peaceful life with my family, and friends.

The path to my degree was not linear, especially since I was an undecided major. I did not start out strong and was discouraged with my grades, so I decided to drop out my sophomore year to become certified in massage therapy. After losing 2 semesters, I came back to continue my education and my grades were better than ever. Returning was the best decision because I learned so much about myself that I would not have known if I stayed out of school. I spent a semester advocating for environmental justice in the DC area as a project for a political science class. I used the knowledge I learned from my chemistry teacher, Dr. Hsieh, to teach my classmates health risks at the molecular level and created obtainable solutions. This project fueled my interest in health and the importance of keeping our bodies & communities clean. I also learned that I have a talent in statistics and loved it so much I took it again in the 200 & 300 level! It became a hobby that can be useful for future research. All these classes were mandatory, but I am extremely thankful that they helped shape who I am today. I’ve always had an interest in wellness and plan to pursue a career in holistic health. As I reached the end of my college career, I made it a goal to offer guidance to my younger peers who are just starting out. I helped classmates study for quizzes and offered advice on assignments. I did not want my friends to get discouraged at the starting line like I did. We are all capable of remarkable things so keep up the good work! I am grateful for the wonderful teachers who showed that they cared, and I am confident that they will continue to create future leaders.

Mirna Gricelda Romero-Sanchez, B.A.  Business Administration, minor in Women’s Studies

I am Mirna Gricelda Romero-Sanchez, I was born in El Salvador, and I came to the U.S.A as a young girl and completed my high school here in Washington, D.C. I always had the ambition to complete a college degree but there were many obstacles. So much happened after I received my high school Diploma. I worked at several jobs to support myself and my children at Sibley Memorial Hospital in the housekeeping department where I learned a lot; I also worked at Liberty Language Service, as medical Interpreter but, I always had the urge to attend an institution of higher learning.  There were many times that I felt deprived of higher learning. I had no funds to pursue my hopes and dreams. I sincerely thank my scholarship TheDream.US sponsors who gave me this wonderful opportunity to attend Trinity Washington University to fulfill my goal. I know that often I felt like giving up, but I am so grateful to the father of my two children and my family who strongly supported me through difficult times. I do feel proud of myself and I want to be a role model for my children Mateo and Christina. I want to make a difference in my community because I know that education is the key to success. I thank you, God, for this amazing opportunity to complete my college degree within 3years.

CONGRATULATIONS, GRADUATES!

If you would like to add your story to this marvelous testimony of achievement, email me (president@trinitydc.edu)a paragraph and your photo and I will keep posting the stories of our graduates to this blog.