Victoria Smith elected president of regional TRIO association

July 9, 2021

The Northwest Association of Educational Opportunity Programs has elected Victoria Smith as president.

Victoria Smith, the director of two federally funded Student Support Services grants at UAF, has served on the NAEOP board in a number of capacities, including Alaska state president and alumni partner.

“As an alumna of three TRIO programs between Centralia College in Washington and the University of Alaska Fairbanks, and someone who has been engaged in TRIO for more than 20 years as a student and staff member, I am beyond excited and honored to step into this role early and serve out a term and a half as president of NAEOP,” Smith said.

Smith is one of just a few Alaska TRIO professionals to serve as NAEOP’s president. Others include former UAF Upward Bound director Andy Angaiak and Odila Rueda from UAA.

NAEOP is one of 10 regions across the United States, and includes the states of Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington.

NAEOP provides a venue through which all TRIO and similar programs may support and advocate for the success of low income, first-generation and traditionally underrepresented students in their path through higher education. NAEOP sponsors professional conferences, meetings, training, mentoring and other educational forums for its members throughout the calendar year.

As incoming president, Smith will play a large role in the upcoming annual conference which will be held in Bellevue, Washington this October.

“My heart is in this region, and in closing the growing equity gaps that exist for the bright and resilient students we work with. As an alumna and now director of two TRIO programs, I have seen the direct and indirect impact our advocacy can have on students’ lives,” Smith said.

Smith, a UAF alumna, holds a B.A. in history with a minor in Northern studies and an M.A. in Arctic and Northern studies with a focus on cultural history and higher education in the Pacific Northwest. She has worked at UAF since 2011 and was named director of Student Support Services in 2018. Through her role in NAEOP she also serves on the Council for Opportunity in Education Board of Directors, and as a team member and co-founder of the First-Gen AK initiative at UAF.