LCC Talent Search Program Earns Five-Year Grant Renewal

Parsons, KS- Since 2002, the TRIO Talent Search program at Labette Community College has served over 500 students annually. In late July, the LCC Talent Search program was notified it would continue to serve additional students with the renewal the five year grant.

Talent Search is a federally funded TRIO program that reaches out to secondary students grades 6 through 12 and adults who have the potential to succeed in higher education. Talent Search provides free services to encourage eligible participants to graduate from high school and enroll in college. Talent Search serves the students of Labette, Cherokee and portions of Crawford counties. The federally funded program is intended to be focused on academic counseling with a focus on financial literacy and baccalaureate completion. These students are more likely to have the self-confidence and the desire to earn a degree from a college, university, technical or vocational institution.

Talent Search director, Preston Haddan said, “The grant process is rather rigorous. When the Department of Education notified us, we had 35 days to complete and submit the grant.”

“In past, receiving the grant was slightly more attainable because we were prior recipients of the grant and there were more funds available. However, this year the Department of Ed granted around 20% of the shrinking funding allocations to new awardees. So learning of our renewal, was a tremendous success for our program allowing us to continue to serve our students,” said Haddan.

In addition to Haddan, LCC Talent Search is staffed with two academic advisors, Michele Dayton and Pat Duncan and one administrative assistant, Mike Brotherton. Dayton and Duncan work with 17 schools in the three county coverage area serving as academic advisors to Talent Search students. This service is a support mechanism to the students own school counseling/advising process.

Talent Search students attend several day and overnight trips for college campus visits to in-state and out-of-state public, private and technical colleges. The college visit trips are coupled with a cultural enrichment activity, ensuring students grow in interest in post-secondary education, as well as forming new friendships other Talent Search students.

“Our program focuses on students goals, whatever that path is. The best part of working with Talent Search students is watching their dreams of higher education become a reality,” said Haddan.

For more information about the LCC Talent Search program, visit http://www.labette.edu/studentaffairs/talentsearch.