When Se’Quoia Drew says Delta’s EOPS program is like family, she means it.

Last summer Se’Quoia was invited to give a speech at Delta’s annual scholarship ceremony. She was nervous. She was anxious. She needed a familiar face or two in the audience. But her own family couldn’t attend.

Shortly before the ceremony Se'Quoia ran into Danita Scott, who directs Delta's EOPS program.

“She had been in meetings all day,” Se’Quoia recalled. “She was exhausted. She seemed like she was ready to go home.”

But after their conversation, Scott didn't go home after all. She stayed for the ceremony. Hers was the familiar face that Se’Quoia needed that night.

Family, indeed.

“She (Scott) showed up just to support me,” Se’Quoia said, her voice cracking with emotion.

“I want to thank you for that,” she added, turning and addressing Scott directly during a recent 50^th anniversary celebration for EOPS. “It meant so much to me.”

Se'Quoia Drew shares her story.

Many grand things were said about EOPS (Extended Opportunity Programs and Services) during the Nov. 4 celebration -- about the counselors who give students academic and personal guidance, about the caring staff, about the services that help students pay for textbooks, about the tutoring that helps them master tough subjects.

Se’Quoia’s story about a single act of kindness stood out. With an estimated 50,000 Delta students having been served by EOPS since its inception, how many other stories must there be?

“When I think about EOPS, I think about family,” Se’Quoia said.

EOPS serves low-income students, often the first in their families to go to college. Students must meet various income and education criteria. Applications are now being accepted for spring 2020. To learn more, visit deltacollege.edu/department/eopscare.'

Danita Scott listens as Se'Quoia Drew speaks.