charlee's Story

Charletta Wiggins is a native of Monroeville, Alabama. After graduating from high school in Dothan, Alabama, she moved to Birmingham to pursue a bachelor’s degree in Communication Management at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Over the next several years, she would be dedicated to serving first generation students who come from families with a limited income but desire to go to college. As a TRIO alum of Educational Talent Search and Student Support Services, serving TRIO eligible students has been one of her passions for as long as she can remember.

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In 2021, Charletta earned her Doctor of Philosophy degree with a concentration in Educational Studies in Diverse Populations from the University of Alabama at Birmingham and continued to work with TRIO eligible students, to give back to the very population that she was once a part of. Being the first person in your immediate family to earn a college degree is a HUGE but daunting accomplishment. First generation students experience many obstacles navigating the college environment, especially since it was not created for their success. 

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As an avid traveler, Charletta decided to expose her Upward Bound participants to an array of domestic and international destinations as well as unforgettable cultural experiences. This made her realize that exposing TRIO students to the inconceivable was not only a passion but that her expertise could add significant value to the TRIO student experience. In 2022, Charletta decided to use her knowledge of working with TRIO participants, her talents and her expertise with graphic design, organization and event planning to establish Charlee & Company, LLC.

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Charlee & Company was created to design the unimaginable.