GREENSBORO, N.C. — An N.C. A&T graduate recently returned to his alma mater to educate students on the best ways to achieve college success.

Emeka Anazia gave a presentation at the 2022 North Carolina TRIO Students Initiative Conference on code switching and personal branding.

“Personal branding and code switching is so important because students need to know how to navigate in different spaces. The way you talk with your grandparents is not how you talk with your friends,” he said.

Those tools are a part of Acing the Undergrad, Anazia's program aimed at college retention. 

According to a study by the College Board, by late spring 2020, FAFSA renewals declined by 5% from the previous year, suggesting that some low-income college students were not planning to re-enroll.

During the pandemic, Anazia was able to help hundreds of students across the country stay in school while many were choosing not to re-enroll.

Anazia said these are the same tools he used to keep himself focused while dealing with his own health issues while he was an undergrad.

“I'm a lupus and a stroke survivor, so it was a lot of hard work, very tough, but with discipline and applying what we teach.[…] I just did a great job,” Anazia explained.

He often offers his services to TRIO students who are first-generation college students, from low-income families or who have disabilities.

Federal TRIO programs aim to help disadvantaged students move through the academic pipeline. 

He said he is happy to finally see them all again face to face. 

“It feels great. I have a passion for just preparing students for college, or if they are in college, just helping them to learn how to be successful. With COVID, a lot has been virtual, so it's good to see students in person,” Anazia said.

Since launching in 2013, he has helped thousands of students develop the skills they need to finish college.