The NC TRIO Executive Board and 2021 NC TRIO Fall Conference Committee announced that Alexandria Whitted was selected as the 2021 NC TRIO Achiever Award recipient.

Whitted is a native of Columbus County and a graduate of West Columbus High School.

Whitted participated in the Educational Talent Search (ETS) program at Southeastern Community College (SCC) for seven years before graduating high school where she received the Gates Millennium Scholarship, a grant program funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

After high school, she enrolled at East Carolina University (ECU) and was the first in her family to graduate college with a four-year degree.

At ECU she obtained both a Bachelor of Arts in African American Studies and a Bachelor of Science in Public Health: Community Health.

She is currently obtaining a Master of Public Health from Boston University.

“The Southeastern Community College TRIO Program was an instrumental part in developing my post-secondary educational plans,” said Whitted. “TRIO found and provided me opportunities in areas where I had a significant interest in high school. I have always had an interest in healthcare, but TRIO was the resource that granted me exposure to different areas of healthcare.”

Whitted is currently employed by Boston University Center for Anti-Racism as a program manager for their Racial Data Lab and conducted research as a part of their inaugural research fellowship.

“I aspire to become an international developer who utilizes global health, feminist technology, and qualitative research to enhance the lives of Black girls and women globally.

“I am so proud of Alexandria and the accomplishments she has made at such a young age,” said Doris Joseph, Director of ETS at SCC. “This is very exciting news, and I was honored to nominate her.”

Learn more about opportunities in the Educational Talent Search program.