update “Perseverance is the hard work you do after you get tired of doing the hard work you already did.” - Newt Gingrich
December 2009-February 2010
What’s Inside? From the staff Words of wisdom from UB
Senior Countdown Liftoff to college
News YOU can use It pays to connect ...
Blast From the Past Bounder Bear’s Alumni News
We’re Proud of You, Second Quarter Scholars! 4.000 and above Christina B. (Sparta) * Tammy X. (Holmen) * Blair M. (Sparta) Sabrina B. (Logan) * Shue Shaine Y. (Central) * Bobby L. (Logan) Jasmine A. (Central) * Tou Long V. (Central) Pa Choua L. (Holmen) * Avon L. (Logan) 3.750 to 3.999 Kaitlyn B. (Sparta) * Gao Seng Y. (Logan) * Sou Thee H. (Logan) Sheng Y. (Onalaska) * Yer L. (Holmen) * Mai Zoua V. (Holmen) Tou V. (Holmen) * Mai Khoua V. (Holmen) * Amy L. (Logan) Fong V. (Holmen) * MaLia T. (Central) * Tria X. (Logan) Hai Y. (Central) * Tou Y. (Holmen) 3.500 to 3.749 Michael B. (Sparta) * Joseph V. (Holmen) * Fue Y. (Holmen) Yer V. (Logan) * Kaitlyn B. (Sparta)
Parents’ Page Parent involvement is KEY! . . . and much more!!!
UBVB4 The Fourth Annual UB Volleyball Tournament was held on Tuesday, December 29 at UW-L’s Recreational Eagle Center. What better way to break the winter break doldrums than some high flying volleyball! Teams consisted of at least two girls, at least two guys and at least two schools represented. We were happy to see several UB alums at this annual event.
Upward Bound serves students from several different schools with different grading systems UB figures all participants’ quarter grades using a four point weighted scale. The resulting UB grade point average is used for this honor roll. Only UB participants taking at least three college prep classes and active during all of the quarter are included here.
Why it pays to connect with your instructors! [This is an excerpt from an article by UW-L Professors Roger J. Haro, Ph.D. (Biology & Director of the McNair Scholars Program), Kerrie Hoar, M.Sc. (Biology), and Suzanne Anglehart, M..E.P.D. (Microbiology) that was published in the PRISM, the newsletter of UW-L’s Office of Multicultural Student Services, in January 2010.]
from a simple lack of personal connection, that between the student and his/ her instructor. Furthermore, students that continue to avoid instructors are often at a greater risk of not graduating.
The ground work for [established professional faculty-student] relationships should be developed early in a student's program. The value in creating faculty-student relationships ... is essential to your success as a student.
Believe it or not, the relationship between you and your instructor at university is not an 'us vs. them' situation! The fact is instructors succeed when students succeed. So we want to let you on to a little secret; students that reach out and engage their instructors early in the semester tend to be successful in the short-term. In the long run, students that establish healthy, professional relationships with faculty members tend to have greater options open to them after leaving UW-L. Former instructors can write letters of recommendation, can pass along job announcements, and can be contacted for career advice long after you graduate.
At the end of every semester we sit down and total scores to assign final letter grades. Each semester we see familiar patterns in those scores. We know these numbers represent the efforts of individuals, some with stories of success and some with stories of struggle. In our minds some of the faces of these individuals are well known, others not so much, and some not at all. Inevitably, for many individuals falling in the latter group, these patterns result in final grades that are disheartening: a "D" or worse. The reasons for these unfortunate results are many and varied: some result from poor personal choices, occasionally from poor advisement, however, we contend, that for many students, the problem stems
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Sarah R. (Sparta) was on the honor roll at Sparta High, was in “The Sound of Music” and was invited to speak at the Sparta Kiwanis Club about Academic Decathlon!
Christina B. (Sparta) was math student of the month in September! And she won a La Crosse Tribune Extra Effort Award and a Kohl Foundation Initiative Scholarship!
Sheng Yang (Onalaska) received a National Honor Achievement Extra Effort Award!
Jasmine A. (Central) was math student of the month and is NHS Public Relations Officer! She also placed second in Economics at the FBLA Regional Competition in February
Antonio M. (Central) lettered in football! Linda H. (Onalaska) received a Freddy Hilltopper Award for outstanding leadership and school spirit!
Holmen’s honor roll first quarter included Fong V., Joseph V., Mai Zoua V., PaChoua L. and Yer L. Second quarter honor roll members were PaChoua L., Yer L., Fong V., Joseph V., Mai Khoua V., Mai Zoua V., Sai V., Tou V., Tammy X., Fue Y. and Tou Y.
Kaitlyn B. (Sparta) played Liesl in the SHS production of “Sound of Music” Shue Shiane Y. (Central) earned an Academic Achievement award in November.
Several La Crosse students lettered in academics at the November La Crosse School District Academic Achievement program: Jasmine A., Sabrina B., Amy L., Bobby L. Nhia L., MaLia T., Ethan T., Erin T., Avery V.G., Tou Long V., Shue Shiane Y.
Keng V. (Holmen) earned a letter in soccer! Damon Ryan (Central) won a state championship in powerlifting! Hai Y. (Central) was student of the month for World Language!
December 2009 - February 2010
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UB Update
It pays to connect continued from page 2 The following are our suggestions on how to connect with your instructors and a few other tips for success. o When seeking out information about certain professors from your friends (peers), make sure you talk to more than one person and make sure you ask what your friend received in the course. Responses often vary by the grade received. This is a critical piece of information NOT available through rateyourprofessor.com. Ask your
advisor for his/her opinion about particular instructors. o Before the first day of class, leave your pre-conceptions about the instructor at the door. He or she is there to help you succeed. Make a point of introducing yourself to them during the first week of class. o If you're nervous about approaching an instructor, it can help to rehearse the meeting with an advisor, family mentor, or friend, and to talk with older students about tips and techniques. o Become very familiar with the syllabus and the [online] course site. Many students overlook critical course resources and deadlines by not thoroughly examining these items. o Know where and when to find your instructor. Enter their office hours into your scheduler. o Make sure your instructor sees you in lab or lecture. Unless there is assigned seating (this is uncommon), don't sit at the back of the lecture hall. You don't have to sit in the very first row, but try to be in the front fourth of the room. o Make an early and honest assessment of your progress in the course. Early quiz, exam, and assignment scores are critical indicators. If you are uneasy
about these early results, contact your instructor immediately. o Find out about any additional course resources that might be available to you (i.e., open labs, review sessions, tutoring centers, writing centers, discussion groups, peer-study groups). o Don't be shy. Connect with others students in the course by offering to work on joint assignments or problem sets when appropriate. Plan early for regular study sessions. If you don't know who to ask, approach your instructor for some suggestions. o Find out what your learning style actually is. ... When you determine your learning style(s) you could mention this to your instructor so that he/she could point you to specific resources that can help you succeed. o Actively engage in honest, goal-orientated time management. Spend more time actually studying your course materials than "preparing" to study (avoid the sharpening pencil syndrome). o Don't fall behind, keep up with the readings. Go over notes and readings prior to lab or lecture so that you are not only prepared to ask questions, but will know the most challenging material before its actually delivered to you by your instructor. o Don't let one bad experience with an instructor prevent you from asking questions or engaging that individual for the remainder of the course. o If you are having difficulties accessing your instructor, let your ... advisor know right away. o Effort and hard work are important to success, but are only part of the picture. You will only know if your study behaviors are effective or appropriate for a particular course if you are strategic about your study habits from the onset of the course. o In the end, this relationship, between you and your instructor is a two-way street. You instructor is there to teach and to help you achieve the learning objectives set out in the course syllabus. However, your success depends upon your ultimate commitment and participation in the class. Missing lab or lecture sections, procrastination with studying or completing assignments, not asking for help until it's too late are all poor choices if success is your goal.
UB Update
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December 2009 - February 2010
Ladder to Success
Thank you to UB alum, Prof. Alissa Oelfke, Viterbo University, for keynoting our Ladder to Success conference at UW-L on Saturday, February 20. Your story is truly inspiring! Thanks, too, to Vickie Sanchez, UW-L Admissions Office, who led a workshop on course selection with college in mind for freshmen and their parents and Viterbo accounting student, Justin McConnell, who presented a workshop on money matters and money management for UB seniors.
Jasmine A. (Central) - accepted at Iowa State University, Drake University and the University of Iowa!
Finally, thanks to those parents who took a few hours to attend this event with their students. Your participation helps support the college goal you, your students and UB share!
Katelyn G. (Sparta) - accepted at Western Technical College and Minnesota State College-Southeast Technical!
Christina B. (Sparta) - accepted at UW-Stout and at UW-Stevens Point!
Amy L. (Logan) - accepted at UW- La Crosse and the University of Minnesota!
Upward Bound is a TRIO program funded by a grant from the US Department of Education. We must submit new funding grants every four years or so. Our next grant application will be due this fall we think. President Obama has proposed a budget with only enough money to fund about 80% of current UB programs. Congress will debate and decide how much money will be available for UB and other TRIO programs later this year. UB has touched many lives in every Congressional district.
Avon L. (Logan) - accepted at UW-Eau Claire and UW-Milwaukee! Antonio M. (Central) - accepted at Globe University (La Crosse)! Avery V.G. (Central) - accepted at UW Stevens Point, UW - Eau Claire, UW-Madison and UW - La Crosse!
YOU CAN USE
Sai V. (Holmen) - accepted at UW - Platteville, UW-Milwaukee, Milwaukee School of Engineering, UW-Fox Valley, UW-Waukesha and UW-Rock County!
In the past five years, UW-L UB has graduated nearly 100 seniors and 78 percent of them are still enrolled in college or have already earned postsecondary degrees. From 2000 to 2004, of the 89 students who graduated through our program, 50 (56%) have earned postsecondary degrees and 17 (19%) are still working on their degrees. We know that Upward Bound WORKS!
Tou V. (Holmen) - accepted at UW-Madison and UW-La Crosse! Song V. (Logan) - accepted at UW - Stout and UW - Eau Claire! Tammy X. (Holmen) - accepted at UW-La Crosse!
For more information about the budget issue, see http://tiny.cc/TRIOBudget
Tria X. (Logan) - accepted at UW - La Crosse!
For a great video about why TRIO is important, see www.youtube.com/watch?v=QqmmN1vnxaI
December 2009 - February 2010
Phan Y. (Onalaska) - accepted at Winona State University and at UW-La Crosse!
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UB Update
Be Like Blair: Start Your Own School Club Want to share your passion but having trouble finding likeminded friends? Sure, you can probably find an Internet message board to chat about anime or import racing. But what if you're looking for something a little more local, a little more face-to-face, a little more real? Perhaps it's time to create your own club. Your high school probably already has clubs that cater to more traditional interests-think basketball, art, or Spanish. But if your passion happens to be a niche interest, or if your school simply doesn't offer your favorite activity, you might have to take matters into your own hands. Like Blair M., a sophomore from Sparta High School who started an Anime Club at her school earlier this year. Still not convinced? Remember that your extracurricular involvement speaks volumes about your consistency, commitment, responsibility, and leadership, and college admissions officers are listening. What's more, experts advise that students become intensely involved in only a few areas of interest instead of dabbling in a zillion different activities. What better way to prove your passion than by starting your own club from scratch? Blair's advice to students considering starting their own school club: "Don't just think about it. Get out there and do it." She'd been thinking about starting an anime club her entire freshman year, she says, but none of her plans were ever put into action. But don't go it alone. "If you're passionate about something," she adds, "odds are there is someone out there who is passionate about it too." Blair also discovered that a bit of confidence goes a long way. "Stay focused. Have a plan. And just have fun with it." Here are some more tips for getting your idea off the ground: Make it a group effort They say there's strength in numbers, and that's certainly the case if you're trying to pitch your idea for a new club to the principal. Recruiting a corps of committed founders can build your confidence and increase your odds of getting school approval. Come up with a plan You'll need a rock-solid plan of attack if you want to get any traction with school administration, so put pen to paper and start brainstorming. Where will you meet? When will you meet? What will you do? Who will be in charge? How will you fund your activities? Get staff support Every school club has a faculty advisor, usually a teacher who supervises meetings and helps the group make important decisions. Your best bet is to find a teacher who shares your club's interests. But even if you can't find an adult who's passionate about Scrabble, any teacher who knows you well might be willing to sponsor your Scrabble club. Advertise! It's not much of a club if you're the only member, so you'll need to advertise. Post fliers around your school, make morning announcements, or spread the word through Facebook. After all, the more the merrier!
UB Update
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December 2009 - February 2010
On the positive side, here are UB grads’ successes! Pao Lee (Central ‘98), who earned a bachelor’s degree from UW-L, has earned his PhD from the University of Minnesota and is now Assistant Professor in the Sociology Department at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls!
Our performance report is in for the year. Whew! The Department of Education requires us to follow up on all students who were in UB for at least 60 days during the academic year or 10 days in summer. Last year (2009) we had a UB graduating class of 17, but we had to follow up on 30 students - 17 graduates and 13 students who withdrew, were dropped or moved (W/D/M)before they graduated from high school.
Mai Chao (Lor) Duddeck (Central ‘89) earned her Master’s of Education Professional Development degree from UW-L in 2008. She was recently highlighted in the La Crosse Tribune for an after school art club project she led, Pottery and Chili, to raise funds for area food pantries and teach the art of throwing clay bowls. Read more at www.lacrossetribune.com/news/local/ article_aaa0d590-eb0a-11de-a094001cc4c002e0.html
The good news is that of those 30 students in the 2009 “cohort”, 22 (73%) were enrolled in postsecondary institutions in the fall following their high school graduation. We met our goal (70%) for 2009 graduates.
Caroline Thao (Onalaska 2004) started at Lawrence University but is finishing her degree at the University of Colorado in Colorado Springs!
The other relatively new part of our annual performance report is following up on students who are attending college or university. How many who started college continued into their second year (persistence)? On this point, we were less successful.
We heard from Nancy (Kaylynn Coulson) Cooper (Holmen 1986) that she earned a Bachlor’s of Business Administration from Viterbo University and has been working on a Master’s degree there. She is currently a Humane Educator at the Coulee Region Humane Society!
Twenty-five students were in our 2008 cohort - 16 graduates and another nine W/D/M. While 23 (92%) enrolled in postsecondary institutions the fall following their high school graduation, only 17 continued into their second year (and the two who didn’t start college right away, did enroll in fall 2009).
Nathan Trussoni (Central ‘94), a UW-L graduate, was recommended for active-duty promotion to Major (pending Senate confirmation) in the U.S. Army in December! Nate has been deployed in Afganistan and Iraq. We would also like to support and congratulate UB grads who are persisting in college, sometimes one or two courses at a time, until they achieve that degree. Older students who may have stopped out for family or financial reasons really understand the importance of keeping on toward that prize. Even though tough economic times are making it hard for everyone right now, the unemployment rate among those with college degrees or higher is HALF that of the general unemployment rate!
Why didn’t these students continue? That’s a good question and one we must assess and address if we are to meet our “persistence” goals in the future. Just a reminder that UB is available for grads who may need help enrolling, re-enrolling, transferring or otherwise continuing their educations. We want to help YOU be successful. Please call 608 785-8539 or email UpwardBound@uwlax.edu! If you have ideas or thoughts about how we can improve our persistence rates, please contact us!
December 2009 - February 2010
Do we have your updated info? Please check your listing at www.uwlax.edu/UpBound/Bounder.htm and email any updates to us!
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UB Update
From the “We can’t say it often enough” department:
S PARENT INVOLVEMENT IS KEY TO T N STUDENT ACADEMIC SUCCESS! E R A P
Upward Bound depends on a strong partnership with parents to bring out the best in students and help them reach for and achieve their academic potential and goals. All of our programming is set up with this in mind, including weekly tutoring sessions, Saturday events, college visits and the six week residential summer program. We depend on parents to understand the importance of these activities and support them by staying in contact with UB staff about student challenges and concerns, attending Upward Bound parent programs and strongly encouraging students to participate fully in UB. Our outreach to parents begins with orientation. When parents come to orientation, they can understand how all the components of our program work together. This also gives us a chance to answer questions parents may have. At least four times per year, we encourage parents to participate with their students in Upward Bound programs: November’s Career Day, February’s Ladder to Success program, May’s Family Potluck Picnic and the summer Open House and Graduation. Parents who attend these events show their students that they are important.
Parents’ participation in their children’s education was twice as predictive of students’ academic success as family socioeconomic status. What Research Says About Parent Involvement in Children's Education and Academic Academic Achievement, Michigan Department of Education
We contact parents with information about the summer program, a crucial part of our programming, so parents can discuss the importance of UB summer with their student and make plans for their students to attend. We invite parents to share in summer program graduates’ work and achievement at the end of the summer. UB offers help and support for parents of seniors during the college and financial aid application process. As working parents, the UB staff understands that not everyone can attend every thing! But we also know that without regular attendance and participation in UB programming, by students and their parents, our job of preparing students for college success becomes much harder. When parents don’t attend UB orientation or when parents do not attend UB programs arrange for them or when they allow their children to decide whether or not to attend the summer program, we know students are not getting the message that Upward Bound is important. We encourage all UB parents to stay involved in their students’ academic lives and plans by discussing classes and academic achievement, attending school information meetings and parent-teacher conferences, participating in UB programming when possible, discussing career and college options, helping students as they apply to college and for financial aid, and remaining interested and involved as students transition to college.
irthdays! Happy B Birthdays! Houa Y. 2/1, Blair M. 2/12, Sai V. 2/13, Miranda A. 2/19, Michelle H. 2/21, Siesha M. 2/22, Raymond D. 2/23, Kayla J. 2/25, Sabrina B. 3/11, Avon L. 3/12, Pachoua L. 3/20, Yer L. 3/22, Kaitlyn B. 3/27, Tong V. 4/8, Mengmor L. 4/11, Christina B. 4/17, Maurena T. 4/18, Mai Chou H. 4/22, Mai Yer X. 5/1, Amy L. 5/8, Ka V. 5/20, Chour L. 5/21, MaLia T. 5/21, Vang Y. 5/23, Skye W. 5/27, Fue Y. 5/29
UB Update
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December 2009 - February 2010