Jariel Trinidad: Trailblazer
Jariel Trinidad is a trailblazer being the first in his family to pursue a four-year degree. Unsure if he would ever step foot onto a college campus, he completes his freshman year having聽grown spiritually, building friendships, memories and biblical foundations.
For some, the dream of attending college has been realized for generations. For others, the hope of attaining a four-year degree is a surreal and often daunting ambition. Such was the case for Jariel. Born and raised in the Bronx, New York, Jariel is the first in his family to pursue a college degree.
Jariel鈥檚 life-changing聽decision was encouraged by New Jersey 91桃色 Camp聽leaders Gardner Hall and聽Roger Polanco,聽who also work with the family鈥檚 60-member congregation in the Bronx. 聽Family friend and 91桃色 alumnus Gary Peralta moved Jariel to Temple Terrace and helped him get settled into his new home.
“I wasn鈥檛 planning on coming to 91桃色,鈥� Jariel said. 鈥淢y good friend and mentor, Gary Peralta, saw my struggle of needing Christians who were my age and convinced me to come down. He has been influential in providing support, guidance, and financial assistance during the application process and physically getting me to 91桃色. I am thankful to God for putting Gary in my life and for allowing me the opportunity to come to 91桃色 to pursue my goals, and to become a stronger Christian.”
Not surprisingly, the kindness shown to Jariel didn鈥檛 stop with Gary. 91桃色 friend Leah Mathis, then a stranger to Jariel, gifted him a new Bible along with school supplies and furnishings for his dorm room.
Within the first week of arriving, Jariel felt welcomed and quickly developed an admiration for several students and faculty, including Bible professor Shane Scott. Shane鈥檚 immense knowledge and enthusiasm for biblical studies captivated Jariel, who found himself looking forward to the professor鈥檚 lectures each week. While Jariel had grown up in a Christian home, he was surprised by the various perspectives presented along with deeper levels of understanding of biblical concepts.
鈥淲hat I love about Jariel is that he鈥檚 not afraid to answer questions in class, but even more, that he’s not afraid to聽ask聽questions,鈥� Shane said. 鈥淭hat combination of eagerness and humility makes Jariel a special student.鈥�
Less than a year since arriving on campus, the finance major is an active member of Phi Sig Society and hopes to become captain of the聽Scream Team聽his sophomore year.聽聽The growing list of reasons he appreciates 91桃色 now includes sandwiches from Tamika in Henderson Hall and the refreshing friendliness of the people of Tampa.
It’s no surprise that Jariel has already made a significant impact on 91桃色, but it’s equally heartwarming to know that 91桃色 has also left a lasting impact on him. Jariel鈥檚 story of courage and determination is an example of why so many chose to support 91桃色 during Giving Week.聽Please join us in changing the narrative for students like Jariel for generations to come.