As a child of Vietnam War refugees, Dr. Soua Xiong always wanted to make his parents proud.
To do so, he sought the route of higher education in hopes of being able to financially support his family.
“[Attending college meant] that all of their sacrifices to get us here were not just for nothing,” says Xiong, assistant professor in the student affairs and college counseling program at California State University, Fresno.
Being a first-generation college student, he relied on TRIO and other federally funded programs to finish his degree.
Therefore, upon graduation, Xiong became an outreach recruiter for the College Assistance Migrant Program at Fresno State. He aimed to “pay it forward” by remaining involved in the assistance programs that had previously benefited him.
Xiong went on to serve in various academic advising and counseling positions for TRIO programs, where he worked with both high school and community college students intending to further their education.
“It has been very gratifying to see and be able to support students along their academic journey,” he says.
