Excelling academically is about more than test scores. Success also depends on access — knowing what opportunities exist and how to reach them, a task that can feel overwhelming without proper guidance.
That’s where Dr. Graves, director of the TRIO Upward Bound Math and Science Program at VUU, comes in. Leading the federally funded initiative, she helps first-generation and low-income high school students from Richmond area schools prepare for college. Her work centers on helping students navigate higher education, overcome systemic barriers and earn degrees.
Dr. Graves — who has a Ph.D. in education and has spent more than a decade in public education, including time with Richmond Public Schools — focuses on supporting students interested in pursuing STEM majors. Her role is very hands-on: from tutoring and college visits to a six-week campus summer program and cultural field trips, she works directly with students (known in the program as “scholars”) to give them the tools and skills to thrive.
She explains that she is continuing to expand partnerships and hands-on research opportunities using networks that she is forming in Richmond to make sure their scholars have these opportunities: “It’s all about providing access. I’m trying to incorporate more experiences, including small things like catching a flight for the first time.”
Beyond working with students, Dr. Graves is also navigating the political challenges. As the Trump administration moves to roll back diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, she says programs like Upward Bound face renewed scrutiny. “Right now, I’m doing everything I can,” she says. “We’ve been called a relic of the past, but people don’t understand that this exposure and access are still needed.”
The impact of her work is evident not only in her students’ success, but also in the lasting impression TRIO programs have on the community.
She recalls being at The Smoky Mug restaurant and some people asking what she does for a living. “When I told them I worked with Upward Bound, every single person in there had something to do with it or with TRIO,” she says, adding that a man and his daughter explained that he wouldn’t have gone to college without it. “I was watching generations of people say that TRIO is the reason they made it through college, and that’s just one example of why I love to do what I do.”
Looking ahead, Dr. Graves plans to continue her advocacy. In addition to her work with Upward Bound, she has conducted academic research on early literacy skills among Black boys and hopes to expand her efforts to promote literacy and educational equity on a broader scale.
“It’s very important to have education feel accessible, and to have those opportunities at a young age,” she says. “Access to quality education, teachers, and mentorship needs to be the norm, not the exception.”
