Plan to keep graduates in Trinidad emerges from wake of low-opportunity exodus
By Benjamin Mandile - Reporter - Courtesy of The Chronicle-News
Trinidad educators have seen student after student leave the town after graduation with a feeling that Trinidad no longer offers them a life filled with opportunities. Now, a group of locals is seeking to change the trend, and keep more of those graduates where they grew up.
Trinidad State College and Trinidad School District No. 1 are hoping to create an eco-system of high-demand jobs on its campuses that can keep Trinidad graduates within the city, following in the footsteps of a Fremont County initiative called Emergent Campus.
“The long and short of it is, this is about our kids,” TSC President Dr. Rhonda Epper said. “This is about building a Trinidad where our kids have opportunities to thrive, to be educated and to have pathways into career fields that lead to a sustainable living wage. We want our kids to stay in Trinidad. We want them to be able to be educated in a field in which they don’t have to leave town in order to pursue viable career opportunities, or go to the big city to find work.”
Part of the exodus of graduates stems from a lack of opportunity in Trinidad, and low wages from the opportunities that are here, compared to markets such as Denver, Colorado Springs and Albuquerque, which all boast higher per capita incomes.
“I will tell you that since I’ve been president of Trinidad State College, I’ve had so many discouraging conversations with young people who really don’t see much of an economic future for themselves,” Dr. Epper said. 2020 U.S. Census data shows Trinidad has a median household income of $40,700, while larger communities such as Denver, Colorado Springs and Albuquerque sit at $78,100, $71,900 and $5