BARTON — The Vermont Educational Opportunity Programs (VEOP) hosted the annual Vermont TRIO Day event at the State House in Montpelier on April 25, 2025, bringing together students from federally funded educational opportunity programs across the state.
Vermont State University Lyndon Upward Bound and Lake Region student Sam Knight attended the celebration, where he toured the historic State House, observed legislative sessions and met with state officials to advocate for TRIO programs.
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During his visit, Knight met with Vermont Governor Phil Scott and had conversations with Lieutenant Governor John Rogers from Glover, Orleans Senator Samuel Douglas, and Representatives Michael Marcotte and Mark Higley. The discussions covered education funding, Knight’s high school experience and his participation in Upward Bound.
On the House floor, Lyndon Representative Beth Quimby, Knight’s former math teacher at Barton Graded School, read a TRIO proclamation highlighting the success of first-generation and moderate-income students in the state’s 13 educational opportunity programs. Quimby introduced Knight as “a young emerging scholar and former student.”
VEOP, the state’s leading professional organization working to ensure equal access to higher education, organized the event where students contacted their local representatives to discuss the support they receive in preparing for college.
The federal TRIO Programs are designed to identify and provide services for moderate-income individuals, first-generation college students and individuals with disabilities, supporting their progression through the academic pipeline from middle school to post-baccalaureate education.
