Meghan Raymond ’19 is entering her sophomore year at Thomas College and is already a leader in many ways.

From organizing the League of Legends Competition at the Thomas Cup, a technology and gaming competition for high school students on campus, to being President of the Gaming Club, and Secretary of the New Technology Club, Raymond has already made her mark at Thomas.

Raymond, who is from Whitefield, Maine, is also a TRIO student.

Thomas College’s TRIO Student Support Services program, which began in 2015, supports the success, retention and graduation of first generation students, students from low-income families and/or students with identified disabilities. TRIO is a federally-funded. Services include: individualized academic coaching, priority placement in summer intensive courses, May intensive course, financial literacy training, Guaranteed Job Program coaching, college planning support for families and graduate or professional school application assistance.

“It is a very helpful service,” says Raymond. “I’ve been working with Cote, who is my academic coach. She has helped me a lot. They have all helped me with some of the issues I’ve been having, especially with financial questions.”

Raymond says she also enjoys TRIO’s off-campus events such as the Boston Trip that she attended last year.

She hopes to stay involved with TRIO in the coming years, possibly with other events or on their Student Senate.

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Computers and technology has always come easy to Raymond. In high school, she helped her teachers and peers with technology questions and issues. And now at Thomas she helps students, staff and faculty with similar problems at the Service Desk. She continued this job throughout the summer.

Raymond is using her skills and interest by majoring in Security & Cyber Defense and minoring in Criminal Justice.

“Computers are my passion,” she said. “It’s a problem-solving skill that I have. I’m just good at taking every option I have and testing each one out and knowing which one works and which one doesn’t.”

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Raymond says her advisors, such as Professor Frank Appunn, have been very encouraging about getting involved with off-campus events that will help her future career in the computer and technology field.

“What I like about Thomas is that everyone is very nice and knows how to help each other out,” she said. “I have gone through so many issues trying to figure stuff out, but there has always been someone at Thomas helping me or connecting me with somebody else that can help.”

Although she doesn’t know quite yet what type of job she wants to work at after graduation, Raymond has enjoyed being involved at Thomas and looks forward to next year.