Resources extend beyond financial or natural capital; they are tools that open pathways to opportunity, success and personal growth. Recognizing the essential role access to resources plays in student achievement, North Lake Campus continued its tradition of connecting students with vital support services during the North Lake Resource Fair held on Jan. 22.
The fair brought together a wide range of administrative offices and student organizations offering students direct access to information designed to support their academic and personal success. Participating organizations included Success Coaches, TRIO, the Office of Intercultural and Global Student Engagement (IGSE), STEM programs and other campus services.
The event aimed to increase awareness of available resources while encouraging students to take advantage of support systems early in their academic journeys.
“So, besides the academic part of things, where you know a success coach helps you (student) with registering for classes and so on, we also help students, if they’re looking to get assistance of tutoring, food services, mental health services, external services like housing and stuff like that,” said Mitchell James, a success coach at North Lake Campus.
The TRIO Student Support Services (TRIO SSS) program provides guidance to first-generation college students, those with learning differences and students with an economic need. According to Mary Dejesus, the TRIO program’s support services coordinator, the TRIO program involves academic advising, workshops, college tour and out of town trip. She encourages students to join the TRIO SSS program, noting that degree and certificate-seeking students are welcome to participate.
In addition to academic services, the fair highlighted student engagement opportunities such as cultural organizations, leadership programs and volunteer initiatives.
The Office of Intercultural and Global Student Engagement (IGSE) offered students the chance to fight against hunger through the virtual “free rice challenge.” The challenge was created by the World Food Program and involves creating an account and answering 10 questions correctly, which resulted in filling a bowl of rice to donate to someone with food insecurity around the world.
Sean Guinyard, Intercultural Center coordinator, invites all the Dallas college students to join the challenge through the portal https://freerice.com/home and bond with the Dallas College IGSE Group by using the following code: 2DQRSWTX.
In addition to informational resources, participants were able to enjoy catered refreshments.