TRIO Student Highlight – Karissa Brunner
Karrisa Brunner has been actively involved on campus throughout her time at SDSU. Karissa is a senior with an Ecology and Environmental Science major with minors in Political Science, Legal Studies and Geographic Information Science. She shared “TRIO has been especially influential in my growth”.
She joined during her first year, and “it quickly became a place where I felt supported and understood. TRIO helped me step out of my shell, trust myself, and build leadership skills through connecting with the TRIO community and advising conversations”. One of the most meaningful aspects of TRIO is “they see me and they see my possibilities” and “everyone cares about everyone”. TRIO helped make her transition to college easier by giving her a space to talk through challenges, manage her workload, find balance, build friendships, develop leadership skills and get involved on campus.
Becoming a tutor through TRIO was especially impactful, sharing “I discovered how much I enjoy supporting others, and it became a gateway to greater confidence and involvement.” Her passion for helping others led her to take on additional roles, expanding her involvement by becoming a tutor and Supplemental Instructor for Chemistry 106 through the Wintrode Student Success and Opportunity Center.
Beyond TRIO, Karissa has been highly active in student leadership. She served in the Ecology Club, first as Secretary and later as President during her sophomore and junior years. Karissa also contributed to campus tradition through serving on the Hobo Day Committee for two years, including as the 2024 Student Entry Lead and the 2025 Parade Assistant Pooba. Additionally, she enjoyed representing SDSU as both a CAFES Ambassador and a Natural Resources Ambassador, meeting with prospective students and supporting faculty and advisers during on and off campus visits.
She shared that these experiences, combined with internships such as working as a Biology Field Technician with the Army Corps of Engineers and completing a two‑part internship with Geronimo Power/National Grid Renewables, have prepared her for the next steps in her career. After graduation, she will be joining Parker Hannifin, initially working in Yankton, South Dakota. Looking back, she shared that her campus involvement and TRIO’s support have been central to her growth, helping her build the confidence, skills, and connections that shaped her college experience and future path.
Karissa’s advice to prospective students considering joining TRIO is “just do it” and “I thought I was doing a great job my first week and in my second week I realized I was not; TRIO was there for me”
