Alumnus Antjuan Seawright Honored with 2024 National TRIO Achiever Award

Midlands Technical College alumnus, Antjuan Seawright, is the recipient of the 2024 National TRIO Achiever Award. The award, presented in New York, honors the exceptional achievements of individuals who have participated in the Federal TRIO programs, including Upward Bound, Upward Bound Math-Science, Talent Search, Student Support Services, the Ronald E. McNair Postbaccalaureate Achievement Program, Veterans Upward Bound, and Educational Opportunity Centers. These programs are designed to support first generation college students from low-income backgrounds, providing them with the necessary resources to succeed in higher education and beyond.

Prior to the awards dinner, Council for Opportunity in Education President Kimberly Jones admired Seawright’s accomplishments. “Antjuan Seawright’s journey is a testament to the transformative power of the TRIO programs,” said Jones. “His dedication, perseverance, and success embody what TRIO aims to achieve. We are immensely proud to honor him with the 2024 National TRIO Achiever Award and celebrate his remarkable contributions to his community and beyond.”

“Growing up in Swansea, South Carolina, I had no illusions about my future opportunities. I was the grandson of sharecroppers. My parents were first-generation high school graduates, and their grandparents couldn’t spell the word ‘college.’” Seawright said during his acceptance. “That all changed for me when, as a Swansea High School freshman in 2000, I entered Midlands Technical College’s Upward Bound program. There, I received the preparation and mentoring I needed to succeed and the example of those who had faced the same challenges and obstacles I had and overcome them. It changed my world, opening a new landscape of opportunities I had never imagined.”

Seawright went on to earn his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and Marketing from Winthrop University and Master of Business Administration from Webster University. Past recipients of the National TRIO Achiever Award include actress and producer, Viola Davis, U.S. Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock, Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford, and retired NASA astronaut José Hernández. 

To see all of the TRIO programs offered by Midlands Tech, navigate to our student support page.