Meet Dr. Maurice Mathis, the senior director of the TRIO Upward Bound Program at North Carolina State University, who has been instrumental in introducing AEOP’s Unite program to students at the university! How did you first find your passion in working with college freshmen and introducing them to campus resources?

I discovered the importance of supporting the needs of students from disadvantaged populations and completely fell in love with the work during my time at Truman State University. Seventeen years later, I am still working in the same field, helping first year and low-income students pursue their college dreams.

How does AEOP play a role in this important work?

My personal passion is providing as much as much support as possible for our students. This often involves writing supplemental grants or securing additional funds to support the activities that we do with our students. When someone sent me information about Unite and explained what it was, I thought, “This is perfect!. We already do some STEM work within our existing TRIO Upward Bound Program, and Unite would allow us to expand and offer even more opportunities to our students.”

What does your day to day look like?

The summer is a busy time with managing both new and returning students. We targeted rising juniors for our Unite program, and I work to organize and manage this group, as well as finding additional opportunities, such as 3D printing, drone building, programming and flying, or visits to local John Deere facilities. My team and I are always focused on providing the best STEM experiences and exposure during the summer. Terry Baxter, the TRIO Upward Bound associate director, has been great in managing those experiences for the Unite students.

I also make sure that I don’t get too far away from the students and remain present. I don’t want them to say: “Who’s that guy over there?” I try to be around as much as I can during the summer and academic year. Recently, I even accompanied some students to Peru for a service learning project!

What are the students getting out of Unite?

The students enjoy Unite because it provides a break from the usual classroom environment. They spend so much time sitting and listening to lectures, so the hands-on experiences in our Unite program are a refreshing change. They programmed and then flew drones, including the high-end $15,000 and $20,000 drones at NC State University! Students also got to go and engage with virtual reality technology at John Deere facilities and gain insight into how STEM approaches are crucial in agricultural work.

I’ve seen a change in their perspective on STEM. It’s not all about being a doctor, a mathematician, or scientist – there are many other opportunities available. 

What advice do you have for students who may have interest in programs like Unite?

I encourage my students to try everything out! I tell them – and my own children – that if they say, “I don’t like that,” they’re not speaking from experience. If you never try something, you will never know if you actually don’t like it, or if you could have liked it. Programs like Unite are designed to be not only beneficial and effective but also enjoyable for students.

What’s really cool is that even if the 25 students from last summer’s Unite program didn’t develop a deep passion for STEM right away, they’ve still walked away with hands-on experience, like programming and owning a drone. So even if they don’t feel inspired immediately, they might pick up the drone in a year and realize they do actually enjoy tinkering with it and discover a newfound interest. Those lasting impressions are crucial, as they provide something tangible to come back to and remember the impact of Unite.