Stephanie Calhoun '03
Stephanie Calhoun
Assistant Attorney General, NYS Office of the Attorney General
Assistant Attorney General, NYS Office of the Attorney General
TRiO definitely helped lead me to the job I have now.
About Stephanie Calhoun:
By Brandon Kilijanski '13
Stephanie Calhoun '03, grew up on Buffalo's East Side while attending Medaille College, but she essentially lived at the TRiO program's office.
Medaille College's TRiO Student Support Services (SSS) Program is a federally-funded program designed to help eligible participants graduate with the grades and skills necessary for success. Participating students work closely with a professional Student Success Advocate, who assists in designing an academic success plan tailored to fit the student’s goals.
“TRiO definitely helped lead me to the job I have,” Calhoun says, who is now the Assistant Attorney General at the New York Office of the Attorney General in downtown Buffalo.
“It helped me develop a hard-working, diligent attitude and allowed me to have a positive mind set instead of being so hard on myself. TRiO made me realize that if I worked hard enough, I could successfully do any job that I get.”
Following graduation from Medaille, and after attending Thomas M. Cooley Law School for one year, Calhoun
transferred to SUNY Buffalo Law School and graduated in 2008. As the Assistant Attorney General she works as part of the State Counsel Division defending state agencies in areas of federal constitutional law, state and federal employment cases, and writs of habeas corpus.
The road to success. At the age of 16, Calhoun was the first member of her family to attend college. Her father emigrated from Jamaica, therefore she did not want to move away, and she wanted a school that offered small class settings.
She graduated from Buffalo Performing Arts High School after her junior year in 1999, and then enrolled at Medaille. One of her first classes at Medaille taught her how to become a true college student.
“I didn’t want to get lost at a big school, and then I just kind of stumbled into the TRiO program,” says Calhoun. “It was my saving grace. I was there from open until close and in between classes also.”
Since Calhoun was a first generation college student, TRiO was the place to go to ask any type of question regarding school. Besides answering questions, the program provided a school setting for her to complete homework assignments, a place for her to type essays on a computer, and a way to borrow an expensive calculator for math class. Calhoun recalls her first college paper was completed on a typewriter at home because her mother could not afford a computer at the time. However, when she signed up with TRiO, a computer was then accessible, at any time, to complete her essays.
“The program provides educational and interpersonal support to continue along the college journey and make sure you finish school,” says Calhoun. “They put pressure on you to keep up with your studies and make sure you fulfill all the requirements. They keep you from struggling and getting behind.” Read more.
transferred to SUNY Buffalo Law School and graduated in 2008. As the Assistant Attorney General she works as part of the State Counsel Division defending state agencies in areas of federal constitutional law, state and federal employment cases, and writs of habeas corpus.
The road to success. At the age of 16, Calhoun was the first member of her family to attend college. Her father emigrated from Jamaica, therefore she did not want to move away, and she wanted a school that offered small class settings.
She graduated from Buffalo Performing Arts High School after her junior year in 1999, and then enrolled at Medaille. One of her first classes at Medaille taught her how to become a true college student.
“I didn’t want to get lost at a big school, and then I just kind of stumbled into the TRiO program,” says Calhoun. “It was my saving grace. I was there from open until close and in between classes also.”
Since Calhoun was a first generation college student, TRiO was the place to go to ask any type of question regarding school. Besides answering questions, the program provided a school setting for her to complete homework assignments, a place for her to type essays on a computer, and a way to borrow an expensive calculator for math class. Calhoun recalls her first college paper was completed on a typewriter at home because her mother could not afford a computer at the time. However, when she signed up with TRiO, a computer was then accessible, at any time, to complete her essays.
“The program provides educational and interpersonal support to continue along the college journey and make sure you finish school,” says Calhoun. “They put pressure on you to keep up with your studies and make sure you fulfill all the requirements. They keep you from struggling and getting behind.” Read more.
