Tori Nelson M.A.

Tori Nelson joined the UNT TRIO family in June 2014, relocating from Green Bay, Wisconsin, to serve as Director of the TRIO Upward Bound program. Her career with TRIO began in 1997 as a Program Assistant for Upward Bound at UW–Manitowoc. In 2004, she accepted the role of Northeast Wisconsin Program Manager for College Readiness 21, a pre-college initiative organized by Wisconsin’s private colleges. Drawn back to TRIO, Tori returned in 2006 as Assistant Director of the Regional Center for Math and Science, the TRIO Upward Bound Math Science program at UW–Green Bay. In 2012, she transitioned to serve as Program Manager for the Wisconsin Space Grant Consortium, a federally funded NASA Education program dedicated to promoting STEM education among pre-college and college students, as well as the general public. Her passion for TRIO and Upward Bound ultimately led her to UNT, where she successfully secured a second Upward Bound grant, enabling the program to collectively serve nearly 150 students.

Tori earned her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology with a minor in Business Management, graduating summa cum laude from Silver Lake College in 2005. She went on to earn a Master’s degree in Counseling with an emphasis in Higher Education from Lakeland University in 2011. As a first-generation college student, Tori understands firsthand the challenges students face and is deeply committed to helping them achieve their educational goals. She is especially passionate about advocating for students who may not feel they have a voice and considers it a true honor to be part of their high school and college journeys.