About

Narratives foster social belonging, celebrate student diversity, and raise awareness about adversity.

In the spring of 2018, the Helena College TRiO program partnered with HC faculty member and author Virginia Reeves to launch Necessary Narratives, a service that helps TRiO-eligible students record their personal stories. The narrative process starts with personal interviews that are recorded and edited into final audio stories. Students can revise the transcripts of their stories into personal essays to use for applications, scholarships, and interviews.

TRiO-eligible students are either income challenged, live with disabilities, or are the first in their families to pursue college—often, these students are all three.

In 2020, the program grew to include MT-10 students. MT-10 is a program that provides financial and academic support to full-time Pell-eligible students who are residents of Montana.