St. Scholastica’s Owen Erickson attends inaugural TRIO Future Leaders Summit

In a remarkable achievement of advocacy, Owen Erickson ’26 recently attended the inaugural TRIO Future Leaders Summit in Washington, D.C. Erickson, a first-generation college student majoring in Psychology and Educational Studies from Cotton, MN, joined 29 other exceptional TRIO college students from across the country on April 13-17 to focus on leadership development and public policy.

Hosted by the Council for Opportunity in Education (COE), the summit aimed to empower students like Erickson by enhancing their leadership skills and providing insights into careers in public policy. Each day offered opportunities to connect with influential policymakers, engage in collaborative workshops and explore pressing issues affecting educational equity.

Surprise and affirmation

Erickson’s journey to the TRIO Future Leaders Summit began with a forwarded email from Tiffany Snider, the assistant director of TRIO Student Support Services (SSS), in November. Her encouragement piqued his interest, and he quickly recognized the significance of the opportunity: “As I reviewed the application, it became clear that this summit could be the next step in achieving my post-graduation goals.” To Erickson’s surprise and affirmation, he received news of his acceptance in January. “It felt incredibly surreal,” he recalled. “I remember immediately reaching out to Tiffany and Matt Hoeschen, the director of TRIO SSS, when I found out.”

In preparation to attend the summit, Erickson committed to fundraising efforts that would showcase the extent of the St. Scholastica community. With generous support across the College, including Dr. Bret Amundson and the School of Arts and Sciences, TRIO SSS, Upward Bound and the Student Government Association (SGA), he was able to secure the necessary funds for the trip. “It truly felt like a community effort,” Erickson reflected.

Diving into advocacy and leadership

While at the summit, Erickson engaged in workshops on strategic thinking, team-building and personal growth. He also had the opportunity to present his ideas directly to policymakers on Capitol Hill. Of all the experiences, Erickson’s highlight was presenting a hypothetical case study on the future of the Department of Education. The summit’s cohort was equally split, with Erickson assigned to the side that sought to abolish the Department.

Although Erickson doesn’t personally agree with this stance, it gave him the opportunity to see things from a different perspective: “Participating in the case study challenged me to step outside my comfort zone and consider viewpoints I hadn’t previously entertained. It allowed me to develop critical thinking skills and appreciate the complexities of educational policy.”

The summit also proved to be a helpful way to dive into advocacy and leadership on a deeper level. “I found the summit to be both a validating and empowering experience,” Erickson shared. “I’ve been fortunate to advocate for educational policy, including funding the Minnesota State Grant, through my education courses and work with SGA. The summit reaffirmed the importance of all of these previous experiences and then some.”

For Erickson, attending the TRIO Future Leaders Summit was not just a milestone; it was an enriching experience that deepened his commitment to advocacy in education. “The summit was an invaluable opportunity to engage with peers equally dedicated to advocacy. The connections I made with TRIO alumni and professionals were meaningful, and I am excited to have that larger network behind me as I go into educational policy after graduation.”