St. Scholastica host Student Leaders from throughout the state as part of "National Trio Day"

DULUTH, MN -  More than 100 student leaders from colleges and universities throughout the state will attend the Minnesota TRiO Leadership Symposium from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 23, at The College of St. Scholastica.

The theme is "Creating Professionals and Responsible Learners" and participants will attend breakout sessions, meet peers from around the state and develop networking skills.

The keynote talk will be by motivational speaker Ryan Penneau, whose theme 'take back college' engages students in an active approach to education and their college experience, empowering them to explore, take risks, and grow themselves and their opportunities.

TRiO is a set of federally-funded college opportunity programs that motivate and support students from disadvantaged backgrounds in their pursuit of a college degree and a better career path.  St. Scholastica hosts five TRiO programs, the most of any college or university in the region. UMD, Lake Superior College, Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College and UWS also host TRiO programs.

Hundreds of graduates of local TRiO programs fill professional roles in the region's nonprofit, healthcare, education and business sectors.

Nationally, more than 790,000 low-income, first-generation students and students with disabilities-from sixth grade through adulthood-are served by more than 2,800 TRiO programs.

The Minnesota TRiO Leadership Symposium celebrates National TRiO Day, which Congress has said is intended to focus the nation's "attention on the needs of disadvantaged young people and adults aspiring to improve their lives, to the necessary investment if they are to become contributing citizens of the country, and to the talent which will be wasted if that investment is not made."

The College of St. Scholastica is consistently recognized as a top tier regional university in U.S. News & World Report's "America's Best Colleges" rankings.