TRIO program directors advocate for students in Washington, D.C.

Two directors from Fresno State’s TRIO programs, Olga Nuñez and Estevan Parra Guerrero, travelled to Washington, D.C. for the 2025 Council for Opportunity in Education Policy Seminar, where they participated in professional development and met with congress members and their staff to advocate for sustained funding to support students. They were joined by 19 other staff members from TRIO’s WESTOP CenCal Chapter.  

Over 1,000 TRIO professionals from across the country participated in the seminar. 

TRIO programs primarily serve first-generation, low-income students who, according to Parra Guerrero, are much more likely to fall into the prison pipeline without additional support. 

The seminar took place over the course of four days, beginning with a leadership academy and various workshops to train staff on how to speak with politicians, alumni engagement, leadership strategies, grant competition preparation, and compliance guidance—all of which inform local efforts moving forward.

The final two days of the seminar offered TRIO staff members the opportunity to lobby and meet with congress members and their staff. 

(c)2025 Sam Levitan Photography

“I was extremely proud of the way Estevan and I represented Fresno State throughout the Policy Seminar,” Olga Nuñez, director of Fresno State’s Educational Talent Search, said. “Specifically, I led meetings with the offices of Representatives David Valadao, Adam Gray, and Vince Fong. Estevan joined us for the visit to Representative Fong’s office and participated in the Capitol tour. Additionally, he led a congressional visit with the office of Representative Jim Costa.”

(c)2025 Sam Levitan Photography

“During these meetings, we highlighted the profound impact of the TRIO programs and shared personal letters from our students. We made several key requests, including securing funding for FY 25 TRIO programs at least at the FY 24 level of $1.191 billion. All offices expressed strong support for continued TRIO funding.”

Parra Guerrero, director of Upward Bound Programs, said, “This seminar is important because politicians want to hear from the people, and sharing a testimonial is most powerful and effective when you have them face-to-face.”

Following the seminar, the Council for Opportunity in Education shared that there were 417 Capitol Hill meetings over the course of the seminar, and 73% of politicians said they will work to ensure flat-funding for TRIO.

by MARISA MATA

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