08/13/2026
โจ THROWBACK THURSDAY | ๐ช๐ต๐ฒ๐ป ๐ง๐ฅ๐๐ข ๐๐ผ๐บ๐ฒ๐ ๐๐๐น๐น ๐๐ถ๐ฟ๐ฐ๐น๐ฒ โ๏ธ
On March 11, 2026, Interim Director Maria David began her day at sunrise on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.
From sunup to sundown, she shared the stories of TRIO students and the impact our programs make not only across the nation, but right here in Eastern Kentucky.
After a long day of walking the halls of Capitol Hill, ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฎ ๐ฏ๐ผ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐น๐ฎ๐๐ ๐ณ๐น๐ถ๐ด๐ต๐ ๐ณ๐ฟ๐ผ๐บ ๐ช๐ฎ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ป๐ด๐๐ผ๐ป, ๐.๐., ๐๐ผ ๐๐ฒ๐
๐ถ๐ป๐ด๐๐ผ๐ป.
And thenโฆsomething incredible happened.
As the flight attendant made her way through the cabin, Maria, even with tired eyes, recognized a familiar face who greeted her.
โ๐ผ๐ง๐ ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช ๐ข๐ฎ ๐๐ค๐ง๐ข๐๐ง ๐ฉ๐๐๐๐๐๐ง? ๐ฟ๐๐ ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช ๐ฉ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ก๐๐ฃ๐ฉ ๐๐๐๐ง๐๐?โ
It was Madison Pauley, a former TRIO Talent Search student and East Carter High School graduate from the Class of 2020.
.. ๐๐ฉ๐ข๐ต ๐ข๐ณ๐ฆ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ค๐ฉ๐ข๐ฏ๐ค๐ฆ๐ด? ๐ฉต
After spending the day in Washington, D.C., telling stories of TRIO students, Maria found herself on a plane homeward bound in the care of one of those very students; now grown, pursuing her own path, and working as a flight attendant.
Of course, Ms. Maria stayed until the plane was cleared so she could tell Madison just how proud she was to see her doing what she loves.
Sometimes, if we're lucky, life gives us a beautiful reminder that what we do matters.
Madison's success proves that for TRIO scholars, ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ธ๐ ๐๐ฟ๐๐น๐ ๐ถ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐น๐ถ๐บ๐ถ๐. โ๏ธโ๏ธ
