Before she ever imagined transferring to the University of Colorado Boulder or becoming a therapist, Quynh Anh Do just needed someone to tell her she belonged.
As a first-generation college student navigating school in her second language while working full-time, she carried more than textbooks onto campus. She carried self-doubt, family expectations and financial pressure.
The help she needed to carry it all, she says, came through FRCC’s TRIO program.
What Is TRIO?
TRIO is a federally funded program that ensures first-generation college students, as well as students with limited income and those with disabilities, have the support they need to thrive in college.
“We are a wraparound support program that helps students by providing academic advice, course selection, financial aid, transfer preparation, career advisement, mental health and personal life skills such as budgeting,” says Angela Rodriguez, director of TRIO Student Support Services at FRCC’s Boulder County Campus.
“TRIO plays a huge part in my success and the progress that I have been making at Front Range,” Quynh Anh shares.
A Front Range Family
What began as academic support quickly became something much deeper—mentorship, community and, in Quynh Anh’s words, family.
“I told my TRIO coaches that they are my parents now,” Quynh Anh, who was 35 when she began attending FRCC, laughs.
Through campus tours, scholarship guidance, mindset coaching and small moments, TRIO helped Quynh Anh every step of the way.
Her journey at Front Range Community College is a story of what happens when a program goes beyond supporting a student’s grades and supports the whole person.
First Steps Onto Campus
Quynh Anh wasn’t sure what to expect when she first walked in to Front Range.
She had recently gone through a divorce. She was working at Trader Joe’s. And despite doing everything she thought she was supposed to do, she wanted something more.
“I felt something was missing,” she says. “I didn’t know what it was.”
A Way to Escape Poverty
What brought her to campus wasn’t a carefully mapped-out academic plan. It was a message she carried from her father:
“He said ‘The only way to escape poverty is education,’” she shares.
That message, combined with encouragement from people around her, led her to stop by the FRCC campus. In the parking lot, she asked a stranger what she thought of the college.
Kindness Helped Her Decide
“[The stranger] told me how much she loved it at Front Range,” Quynh Anh says. “I was sold in the parking lot.”
Once inside, a future classmate helped Quynh Anh complete her application. As someone who had never navigated the US education system before, that moment mattered deeply.
“I was so nervous. I didn’t want to make a mistake and not get accepted,” she says. “The kindness I experienced here made me decide to go to Front Range.”
In the Right Place
She remembers later receiving an email from FRCC President Colleen Simpson, EdD, affirming that all students belong at Front Range.
“I will never forget that email,” she shares.
That sense of belonging became deeply personal when she walked into the Multicultural & Identity Center and saw her country represented by the flag of Vietnam.
“That was when I knew I was in the right place.”
A First-Generation Student
Quynh Anh is graduating this semester with an associate degree of science and plans to transfer to CU Boulder.
Her mother, she explains, was denied the opportunity to attend school as a child because her family was too poor.
“That story reminds me that I need to keep going—not just for me, but also for my parents. For my mom’s dream of having an education,” she shares.
Finding a Community in TRIO
As the only one of 10 siblings living in the US, Quynh Anh often felt alone. That changed when she joined TRIO.
“There have been some students who maybe struggled in the past,” Angela says. “But then they joined a community in TRIO and they always have somebody to talk to. It’s very joyful.”
“They make connections, and there have even been instances where students want to change class sections so that they’re able to be with their TRIO peers.”
Finding Her Confidence
According to Quynh Anh, TRIO helped her rebuild her mindset.
“When I was little, I was told that I was ugly, that I would not be hired, that nobody would want to date me or marry me,” she says.
Those words stayed with her for years, resurfacing in moments of stress or doubt. During her first semester, she experienced burnout and reached out to her TRIO success coach.
A New Mindset
“My coach said, ‘Let’s go for a walk.’ And during the process of walking and talking, somehow, it released that pressure inside of me. I let go of that voice inside my head and was ready to get back up again and conquer the world,” Quynh Anh says.
Surrounded by people who consistently told her, “We believe in you,” she began to believe it herself.
“TRIO really helped me reprogram my mindset,” she adds.
Overcoming Barriers
Quynh Anh faced multiple challenges during her time at FRCC: language barriers, financial strain, long work hours and mental health struggles.
“English is my second language,” she says. “The barrier of not understanding the technical terms in certain classes scared me.”
But instead of being judged, she found support.
“No instructors or students ever made fun of my accent or spelling,” she shares.
Accessing Support
Quynh Anh worked full-time from 4 am to noon while attending school full-time. Burnout was real, so she utilized FRCC’s free counseling services.
“[Having a therapist to talk to] helps me release the pressure in life—from work, school and the pressure that I put on myself to do the best that I can,” she says.
Her message to other students is clear:
“Take care of your mental health and everything will fall in place.”
She notes that FRCC’s counseling services and her TRIO family played a big part in helping her care for her own mental health.
A Place Where You Matter
When asked who made an impact on her, Quynh Anh struggles to narrow it down.
“If I miss anyone, please know that you are part of my answer,” she says with a smile.
She speaks about faculty who physically knelt down to meet her at eye level while helping her learn. She thanks financial aid staff, the FRCC Foundation, the facilities team, campus safety and college leadership.
“You made me feel that I matter, that my wellbeing matters,” she says.
A Community of Support
Quynh Anh specifically called out her tutors as a major source of support.
Maxwell Stevens, an instructor in the Math Center at Front Range, calls Quynh Anh a dedicated and hard-working individual who was willing to put in the hours to succeed.
“Every time I’m in the Math Lab, she’s here,” he marvels.
Education as Generational Transformation
Quynh Anh’s motivation goes beyond her own success.
“This is a generational transformation,” she says.
One of her nieces has now returned to school after seeing Quynh Anh’s example.
After graduating this spring, Quynh Anh will transfer to CU Boulder. Her dream is to become a therapist.
“I want to help others just as much as others have helped me by transforming their mindset and healing from the past,” she says.
Words of Wisdom
Quynh Anh’s advice to current and future students reflects everything she has lived:
“Just put down your phone,” she says. “Look up. Look around. All the resources you need are right here for you at Front Range.”
“If you don’t like your story, you can change it.”
