Photo courtesy of Tara Anderson Holman
COLUMBIA, SC – Blueprint Strategy is thrilled to announce that our CEO, Antjuan Seawright, has been named a recipient of the 2024 National TRIO Achiever Award. This prestigious recognition was celebrated during the 2024 Educational Opportunity Awards Dinner at the Council for Opportunity in Education (COE) Annual Conference in New York City on Tuesday, September 10.
The National TRIO Achiever Award honors exceptional individuals who have participated in the Federal TRIO Programs, which include 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.
"Growing up in rural Swansea, SC, I had no illusions about the opportunities my future held,” said Seawright. “I was the grandson of sharecroppers. My parents were first-generation high school graduates and their grandparents couldn’t even spell the word 'college.' More than 40% of students didn’t graduate on time, if at all, and poverty in communities like mine was the rule rather than the exception. That all changed for me whenI entered Midlands Technical College’s Upward Bound Program in 2000 where 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. They showed me that college was a possibility and, with hard work and financial support, a likelihood. It changed my world, opening a new landscape of opportunities I had never imagined.”
Based in South Carolina, Seawright has advised local, state, and national campaigns across America, including the 2008 and 2016 Presidential Campaigns for Hillary Clinton. In addition, he has written articles for national publications and been featured as a political analyst and contributor by news organizations from CBS to The Washington Post.
COE President Kimberly Jones praised Seawright's achievements, stating, “Antjuan Seawright’s journey is a testament to the transformative power of the TRIO programs. 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.”
Past recipients of the National TRIO Achiever Award include renowned figures such as actress and producer Viola Davis, U.S. Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock, Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford, and retired NASA astronaut José Hernández.
For more information about the National TRIO Achiever Award or to purchase tickets to the Educational Opportunity Dinner, please visit coenet.org.
For more information about Seawright or Blueprint Strategy, please visit blueprintstrategyllc.com.
