Illinois TRIO Professional Family,

​

I am Dr. Shatoya Black and it brings me joy to serve as the president of this great state for the 2022-2023 year. I am honored to follow in the footsteps of many TRIO Legends involved in building and maintaining the legacy of TRIO that has provided us with decades of success and triumph. My educational journey started in Dekalb, Illinois where I completed my degrees at Northern Illinois University. This experience has come full circle for me, as an Alum of TRIO and now a professional, I am one of many people who are walking success stories in this world that embodies TRIO works!  I made the decision in 2011 as a non-traditional undergrad student to pay out of pocket for membership in TRIO and it is one of the best decisions that I have made.

 

As a professional, I utilize the impact some of the TRIO association leaders had on my journey of growth and development to provide it to others as an empowerment agent and legacy leader. With my superpower being strategic innovation, I have been afforded many opportunities to develop initiatives that impact the trajectory of first-generation students’ holistic success both personally and academically. My passion is to cultivate spaces that focus on closing the opportunity gap, cultivating community, and addressing deficit perspectives and language that will change the narrative of first-generation students to an asset-based approach. The goal is to highlight the social and cultural capital first-generation students bring to the college journey and intentionally elevate the voices of their lived experiences.

 

The theme for this presidency year is “L.E.G.A.C.Y. Leadership: Position to win with the power to play, it’s your move.” The Legacy leadership TRIO provides has cultivated carriers of a shared vision and values that position us to win and the power to keep us in the game as key players. “It’s your move” will empower the next emerging leaders to identify and consider the keys they possess to unlocking future success.  TRIO has a holistic leadership approach to everything they do, which requires the leaders to show up bringing their whole selves to any role they commit to. TRIO legends did this through leadership, education, growth, advocacy, community, and yielding (inspiring emerging leaders to trust the process as they lead by example). Through the richness of TRIO L.E.G.A.C.Y, we will inspire those who are next to understand that TRIO works because of your work as professionals and has been secured by TRIO Original Champions (TOCs) on the local, state, regional, and national level. Thank you in advance for the opportunity to serve and I look forward to serving with you all this upcoming year.

 

Illinois TRIO President,

Dr. Shatoya Black

Dr. Shatoya Black