Knox College brings MCode For Students into its TRIO Student Support Services

Inside Knox College’s TRIO program

Since 1974, Knox College has administered federally funded TRIO Student Support Services, which help higher education institutions serve first-generation college students, low-income individuals, and individuals with disabilities through their academic journeys.

In 2021, the college piloted an integration with MCode For Students and its TRIO Achievement Program, starting with the TRIO Peer Leaders. The success of that pilot led to expansion across the larger TRIO roster of 185 students, with plans to bring MCode For Students into their Pre-Arrival TRIO Bridge Program, where new first-year students arrive on campus five days early to orient to campus and discover the benefits of the TRIO program.

Pushing past imposter syndrome with personal stories

Laura Bush, Assistant Director for Knox College’s TRIO program, shares that many students in the program enter college with imposter syndrome — feeling as if they don’t belong, having low self-confidence, and finding it hard to relate to others. As a result, they often hesitate to tell their stories or share their experiences in ways that could help them connect with other students and find their place and voice on campus.

As Bush shares, “in our program, a critical emphasis is placed upon career development because participating students face higher student loan debt than their non-income eligible peers, yet may not have a full picture of the career opportunities available.”

She knows that when students can make a connection between how they intrinsically operate, they’re more likely to externally thrive, which is why strategic initiatives like MCode For Students play a vital part in helping students realize their career potential.

In the Spring of 2020, Bush learned about MCode For Students from the campus career center and piloted the assessment with TRIO staff and Peer Leaders. She hoped it would help students feel welcomed and heard while also giving them a starting point for written personal reflection.

TRIO Peer Leader Melina Minaya described the experience as a refreshing change. Unlike other assessments where the answer they’re looking for is obvious from the options given and where students can adapt their answers to fit, MCode For Students was unpredictable. Minaya explains, “I didn’t know what to expect from sharing my story but the results were telling. It not only reinforced the way I felt about myself but also pointed me toward a better understanding of how and why I show up in the world the way I do.”

From assessment to academic counseling

After discovering her Motivations, Minaya found it easier to see them in real life and use them to refine her career options. She proactively shared her report with her academic counselor, which led to better, more individualized support, especially during a discussion about which types of internships or jobs would be a great fit and why certain opportunities might not play to her Motivations.

Bush shared that this experience hasn’t been unique to Minaya. The MCode For Students assessment has been an ideal jumping-off point for students to engage with other departments on the Knox College campus. “Whether it is for post-graduate programs, study abroad, or career development, the report has been helpful in offering TRIO students further insight into how their motivations are activated in a variety of contexts and environments,” explains Bush.

For example, one student struggled with graduate school exploration and felt hesitant about choosing the best-fit degree. She used MCode For Students to connect her past story and family history with her Motivations and, ultimately, her career choice. The process helped put important pieces together and gave her the confidence to make a decision based on the environment and program where she’s most likely to flourish.

Expanding to students at every stage

Since the initial pilot, Bush has rolled out MCode For Students with her staff, other post-traditional students, and the undecided sophomores and juniors within the TRIO program. What she has discovered is that understanding how you’re wired, what motivates you, and how that maps to major and career choices is helpful in every phase of academic and career exploration.

What’s next at Knox

Bush and her team plan to keep expanding MCode For Students on campus to collectively support students. As a TRIO Peer Leader, Minaya is in full support. She believes her peers would benefit from understanding what drives them. As Minaya shares, “There is a lot of focus on the money a career could bring. If students had access to their core motivations, they could spend less time trying to fit into a mold that may not work for them and more time designing and envisioning themselves in a fulfilling job.”

Integrating MCode For Students into the program’s first-year student experience initiative has been a rewarding experience. Bush looks forward to following these students over the next four years and recommends the assessment to other colleges with TRIO programs. As she puts it, “I would definitely recommend other TRIO programs and college access and support programs use MCode For Students. It truly stands apart by obtaining the narrative and voice of students, which is so important to the ethos of TRIO programs.”