ALIDA THAO
Region II
Alida Thao is a first generation American, born to refugee parents’, the eldest of 10 children, and made the brave choice to be the first in her family to go to college, despite being from a low-income family. Alida is not only an EOPS student, but she also represents the NextUp program. NextUp is a student support program under EOPS specifically designed to support college students that have current and former experience in the foster care system. During her teenage years, Alida spent time in the foster care system due to abuse and neglect from her parents. This experience has inspired Alida to major in psychology so she in turn can work with patients from different walks of life that experience mental and psychological challenges due to their childhoods and environments. Alida is an ambitious and stellar student that has utilized EOPS/NextUp services since she started at CRC Spring 2019. She is appreciative of the program and staff; she never fails to credit how the support has gotten her through some tough times.