SCHOOL UPDATE SPRING 2011 Interim Director: Paul Krause Office: (608) 785-8760 krause.paul@uwlax.edu Student Services Coordinator: Cathy Van Maren Office: (608) 785-8539 vanmaren.cath@uwlax.edu Student Services Coordinator: Michelle Stertz Office: (608) 785-8757 stertz.mich@uwlax.edu Advisor: Lisa Yang Office: (608) 785-8763 Mobile: (608) 738-9876 yang.lisa@uwlax.edu 176 Murphy Library 1725 State Street La Crosse, WI 54601 Office: (608) 785-8539 Fax: (608) 785-8757 upwardbound@uwlax.edu www.uwlax.edu/UpBound
W
ith the school year winding down, we here at Upward Bound at UW-La Crosse are already looking toward next year‟s class of pre-college participants. We are currently seeking applications from incoming high school freshmen and sophomores. New applicants would join 75 other college-bound students from six area high schools to participate in programming that will prepare them for post-secondary success—from weekly tutoring to college visits to community service to our residential summer program. Students are eligible if they meet our low-income guidelines or if neither parent in their home has a four year college degree. Upward Bound students Eligibility Guidelines: are four times more ► www.uwlax.edu/UpBound/UBelig.htm likely to earn a college degree than students from similar backgrounds who aren‟t in Upward Bound. Interested students should fill out an application in their guidance office or on our web site. Once we receive their application, Upward Bound staff will request additional information from parents and school counselors.◄ Apply Online: ► www.uwlax.edu/UpBound/applynow.htm
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Spring 2011
WHAT WE’VE BEEN UP TO COLLEGE DECISIONS!
COLLEGE PREP AND COMMUNITY SERVICE
With acceptance letters in hand, many of our graduating seniors have selected the college they will enroll in for fall 2011. In fact, of the 19 sen- 95% of seniors iors currently active in enrolled in Upward Bound, 18 college are enrolled in a college or university for the fall. Be sure to congratulate the following students on their college decisions!
On Saturday, February 12, about 40 Upward Bound students assembled in the Cartwright Center at UW-La Crosse for our annual Pre-College Fair. Keynote speaker Dr. Paula Knudson, Assistant Chancellor and Dean of Students at UW-L, recounted her educational journey and advised students about how to get the most out of their college experience. Next, students split up into groups based on grade level and attended workshops covering topics like college planning, time management, and financial literacy. Afterward, everyone gathered at All Star Lanes for bowling and pizza.
Miranda A.
UW-Eau Claire
Sabrina B.
UM-Twin Cities
Kaitlyn B.
UW-Eau Claire
Mai Chou H.
UW-Stout
Sou Thee H.
UW-Madison
Mengmor L.
Western Tech.
Bobby L.
UW-Madison
Nhia L.
UW-Green Bay
PaChoua L.
UW-La Crosse
Kiswana R.
UW-Milwaukee
Erin T.
UW-Milwaukee
Ethan T.
UW-Stout
Maurena T.
UW-Oshkosh
Fong V.
UW-Madison
Joseph V.
Western Tech.
Mai Khoua V.
UW-La Crosse
Sheng Y.
UW-La Crosse
Tou Y.
UW-La Crosse
Saturday, April 2 brought glorious weather and a great turnout for UB‟s annual Community Service Day. Over 40 students completed volunteer projects with Wisconsin‟s Adopt-AHighway Program, the Children‟s Museum of La Crosse, the La Crosse Parks and Recreation Department, the La Crosse Community Theatre, and the Kane Street Community Garden. UB students also visited Viterbo University on February 26, UW-Madison on April 15, and UW-La Crosse on April 29. The Madison group also attended the annual Engineering Expo to explore career opportunities in engineering related fields.◄
CONGRATS, SOU THEE! Upward Bound senior Sou Thee H. has been awarded the Theodore Herfurth Scholarship from the University of Wisconsin -Madison, a renewable, fouryear scholarship worth $6,000 per year!
Spring 2011
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WHAT’S COMING UP IMPORTANT DATES
Last Day of UB Tutoring
UB Potluck & Awards Party
ACT Test
Thu., May 5
Fri., May 6
Sat., June 11
Summer UB Begins!
Last Day to Order PSAT Fee Waivers
Wed., June 15 Wed., June 15
PSAT FEE WAIVERS To better prepare them for the rigors of college admissions tests, Upward Bound at UW-La Crosse requires all of our juniors to take the PSAT offered at their high schools in the fall. All Upward Bound juniors are eligible to receive a PSAT fee waiver from the College Board. From the College Board website:
SUMMER UB! Our six-week residential summer program will be here before you know it, and we‟re hard at work planning an experience that will prepare our students for success in college. Summer UB participants will live in a UW-L residence hall from Sunday nights through Friday afternoons, and go home on weekends. While they‟re with us, they will spend most of their time taking classes designed to prepare them for their high school classes in the fall (math, science, language arts, world language, and study skills courses taught by local licensed teachers). Students will also engage in fun activities that develop other interests and help them make new friends—like arts and recreational classes and small group time. We‟ll also throw in a few hours of supervised free time to give students a break. After five weeks of classes, we‟ll take students in good standing on a three-day trip to Milwaukee. There, we‟ll stay on a college campus, visit area colleges and universities, check out local businesses, dine at exciting restaurants, and experience the cultural scene of a big city.◄
Because the pool of fee waivers is limited, you are asked to base the number of fee waivers you request on the guidelines outlined below:
The student must be in the 11th grade.
Your school must agree to waive any local administrative fees for these students.
The student must be either: A member of a family receiving public assistance A resident in a federally subsidized public housing project or a foster home An enrollee in a program that aids economically disadvantaged students, such as the federal free or reduced lunch program, Upward Bound, TRIO, or a local or state program intended to aid students who are economically disadvantaged
In May, current Upward Bound sophomores will submit a PSAT Fee Waiver Request form to their school counselors. Please help our students meet our program requirements by honoring their requests for PSAT fee waivers. Thanks!◄ More info on our School Staff Page: ► www.uwlax.edu/UpBound/SchoolStaff.htm
Spring 2011
BY THE NUMBERS
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UB SENIORS STAND OUT!
Of the 19 seniors currently active in Upward Bound, 18 are enrolled in a college or university for the fall. And many of them got there by earning great grades. While Upward Bound serves students with a wide range of academic abilities, many of our students rank at the top of their high school classes. 32% of seniors in the top 15% of their class 37% in the top 25%
99th 85th 75th 60th
Percentile
63% in the top 40%
1st
UB BRACES FOR BUDGET CUTS Upward Bound at UW-La Crosse is a TRIO program funded by the U.S. Department of Education. Every few years, TRIO programs across the country compete for limited federal funds so they can help low-income and firstgeneration students achieve academic excellence. But adequate funding for TRIO programs, including Upward Bound, is in danger under new cuts to federal spending.
Under a new budget approved in April by the White House and Congress, TRIO programs will see $26.6 million in cuts, which, according to the Council for Opportunity in Education, “in all probability, will eliminate TRIO services to 90,000 students.” We will soon begin writing our grant application so that we can continue providing services to our students beyond August 2012. Upward Bound at UW-La Crosse has
a proven record of helping lowincome and first-generation students succeed in high school, college, and beyond. Our participants are four times more likely to earn a college degree than students from similar backgrounds who aren‟t in Upward Bound. In short, Upward Bound works! More info at COE’s website: ► www.coenet.us
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Spring 2011
NINE YEARS LATER: UB ALUM EMMANUAL CANNADY Emmanuel Cannady, a 2002 La Crosse Central graduate, has experienced Upward Bound from the perspective of a student, tutor, and intern, and now he‟s focusing his career on helping the next generation of students reach their full potential. “I absolutely loved my Upward Bound experience,” says Cannady. “I think it mostly showed me how important academic success is to overall success in today‟s world. Being raised by a single mother, we never had the resources that so many of the students I currently work with have. We were at a disadvantage, but Upward Bound was the equalizer.” Cannady took advantage of Upward Bound‟s range of services--from weekly tutoring to college visits--to make his college dreams a reality. “I would have never been able to go to college visits without Upward Bound,” says Cannady. “My mom could not afford to take off work to drive me to visits, so it was a major help that Upward Bound could help me decide what I wanted in a college. Most importantly, having the experience of working and living on a college campus made my transition to college so much more fluid. Because of Upward Bound, my question wasn‟t „Am I going to College?‟ but instead, „Which college am I going to?‟”
Cannady decided on Jamestown College in North Dakota, where he studied for two years before transferring back to UW-La Crosse to complete his bachelor‟s degree in mathematics and psychology (and tutor Upward Bound students in math and French). He stayed on to earn his master‟s degree in student affairs administration in higher education from UW-L (completing a semesterlong internship with Upward Bound in the process), and now works at Gonzaga University in Spokane, Wash. as a Resident Director. “What I like most about my current job is working with students to help them see their potential and give them tools to maximize that. Because of the support I received throughout my high school and college experience, this a way of paying it forward to the future students,” Cannady says. Cannady‟s story shows how Upward Bound can help students achieve an enriching education and a fulfilling career. But can Upward Bound also give students a leg up in love? “I am getting married this summer, and my future wife was an Upward Bound tutor as well!”◄
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Spring 2011
CURRENT ENROLLMENT Monday tutoring @ Holmen High School has concluded for the year
Wednesday tutoring @ Sparta High School has concluded for the year
Wednesday tutoring @ Tomah High School has concluded for the year
Holmen
Sparta
Tomah
Current enrollment: 24 Now recruiting 8th and 9th graders!
Current enrollment: 11 Now recruiting 8th, 9th and 10th graders!
Current enrollment: 8 Now recruiting 8th, 9th and 10th graders!
9th:
10th:
Lawrence J. Tyler K. Andrew S. Whitney T. Chevana V. Linda V. Katherine W. Mai Nue L. Yer L. Larry X. Lee X. Mai Yer X. Chai Y. Fue Y.
11th:
Pakouda M. Ann V. Mai Zoua V.
12th:
Mai Chou H. Mengmor L. PaChoua L. Fong V. Joseph V. Mai Khoua V. Tou Y.
9th:
Darian K. Dana M. Morgan R.
11th:
Michael B. Katelyn B. Michelle H. Zachary K. Blair M. Sarah R. Skye W.
12th:
Kaitlyn B.
9th:
Samantha A. Dillon B. Leigh Anna E. Margret V.
10th:
Zakary J. Timothy J.
11th:
Alexander H.
12th:
Miranda A.
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Spring 2011
CURRENT ENROLLMENT (cont.) Thursday tutoring @ UW-La Crosse has concluded for the year La Crosse Logan
La Crosse Central
Onalaska
Current enrollment: 20 Now recruiting 8th and 9th graders!
Current enrollment: 12 Now recruiting 8th, 9th and 10th graders!
Current enrollment: 3 Now accepting applications!
9th:
Hannah K.
10th:
Dan D. Jason H. Gao L. Pa Kou M. Atyanna R. Lakysha R. Matilda S. Yer V.
11th:
Van N. Tanshanita R. GaoSeng Y.
12th:
Sabrina B. Devin C. Sou Thee H. Bobby L. Nhia L. Kiswana R. Erin T. Ethan T.
9th:
Sabrina D. Jordyn T.
10th:
KaBao Y.
11th:
Siesha M. MaLia T. Cheng Por V. Tong V. Tou Long V. Hai Va Y. Shue Shiane Y. Vang Y.
12th:
Maurena T.
e
sum e r ill er! w ing temb r o Tut n Sep i
10th:
Ma Y.
11th:
Toua Y.
12th:
Sheng Y.
TARGE ENROL T LM 85 STU ENT: DENTS
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Spring 2011
MEET THE UPWARD BOUND STAFF
Cathy Van Maren Student Services Coordinator
Lisa Yang Advisor
Paul Krause Interim Director
Cathy is UB's Administrative Specialist. She sometimes refers to herself as “the office fossil” because she‟s been with UB the longest: since 1985!
A UB grad (Central ‟99), Lisa joined us as a Student Advisor this summer. She is an alumna of UW-La Crosse (‟05) with a BA in Sociology. Since summer of 2007 she has been the Chinese Teacher for Summer UB.
After many years as Assistant Director, Paul has taken over as UB‟s Interim Director. Paul has been with the UB program since 1990.
You‟ve probably spoken with Cathy on the phone or received mail from her, since she does most of the office correspondence, publishing, and recordkeeping. A graduate of Iowa State, she also took many classes at the University of North Carolina. Her interests include her family, politics, alternative energy and transportation, the Netherlands, gardening, Waldorf education, music composition, and bicycling.
Lisa advises students at their schools in addition to supervising tutoring sessions. This semester she spends Mondays at Holmen High School, Tuesdays at Onalaska High School, Wednesdays at Logan High School, and Fridays at Central High School.
Paul is a UW-L graduate who enjoys sailing, traveling, racing, and hockey.
Michelle Stertz Student Services Coordinator
SAY SO LONG TO... After five years with Upward Bound—as tutor, summer Language Arts teacher, AmeriCorps paraprofessional, and most recently, Advisor—Ben is moving to Milwaukee to begin graduate school. He will miss the students and school staff that make UB such a great place to work.
Lately, he has been working more behind the scenes, planning for our summer program and preparing our grant application.
Ben Penlesky Advisor
Michelle will graduate from UW-L with a Master‟s of Science in Student Affairs Administration in May 2011. She‟s been hard at work coordinating recruiting visits to our middle schools, interviewing new applicants, and advising current students. This summer, Michelle will teach our Senior Seminar class, which allows students to research colleges and prepare for the college application process. She will also work with our Bridge students taking college classes at UW-L and WTC to prepare them for their first semester of college in the fall. Michelle is a graduate of Winona State University where she was an Ambassador (campus tour guide) and worked in the Advising office. She enjoys baking, reading, rollerblading, four-wheeling, snowmobiling, and listening.