colorado trio fact book table of contents what is trio/history … · 2015. 10. 21. · colorado...
TRANSCRIPT
Colorado TRIO Fact Book
2014
Table of Contents
What is TRIO/History .......................................................................... 1
Educational Talent Search (ETS) .................................................... 2
Upward Bound (UB) ............................................................................. 3
UB Math/Science (UBMS) .................................................................... 4
Veterans UB (VUB) ................................................................................ 5
Student Support Services (SSS) ........................................................ 6
Ronald E. McNair Program (McNair) .............................................. 7
Educational Opportunity Center (EOC) ........................................ 8
District 1 ................................................................................................... 9
District 2 ................................................................................................ 12
District 3 ................................................................................................ 15
District 4 ............................................................................................... 18
District 5 ................................................................................................ 21
District 6 ................................................................................................ 23
Colorado TRIO Programs Map ...................................................... 25
What is TRIO? TRIO includes seven programs targeted to serve disadvantaged Americans: low income individuals, first generation college students, disabled persons and disconnected individuals as they progress through the academic pipeline from middle school to post-baccalaureate programs.
TRIO is a commitment that has its foundation in the Civil Rights Movement and the War on Poverty when in 1965; the TRIO programs were the first national college access and success programs to address the serious social and cultural barriers.
Each year, nearly one million Americans are served nationwide by 2,800 TRIO programs.
History of TRIO Programs Our nation has asserted a commitment to providing educational opportunity for all Americans regardless of race, ethnic background, or economic circumstance. In support of this commitment, through the Higher Education Act of 1965, Congress established the TRIO programs to help low-income Americans enter college, graduate, and move on to participate more fully in America’s economic and social life. Congress mandated that two-thirds of the participants served must be from low-income backgrounds where neither parent graduated from college. The Higher Education Act of 2008 with the reauthorization in 2010 further broadened the definition of eligibility for TRIO services to include: homeless and foster care youth, disabled people, those with limited English proficiency and other disconnected individuals. The reauthorization of 2010 also provided further clarification to the terms, veteran’s eligibility, eligible participants; and more important, it prohibited enforcing “absolute priority” or “control groups” for evaluation of the TRIO Programs.
The current administration has committed to having the highest proportion of students graduating from college in the world by 2020.
TRIO programs are mandated to provide the mentoring/advising support needed to help students overcome academic, class, social and cultural barriers to higher education. TRIO services ensure that educational opportunity remains available to all students in an increasingly competitive global economy and world.
TRIO Programs TRIO programs provide academic tutoring, personal counseling, mentoring, financial guidance, and other supports necessary to promote college access, retention, and graduation. Educational Talent Search (Grades 6-12 ) Upward Bound (Grades 9-12) Upward Bound Math/Science (Grades 9-12) Veterans Upward Bound (Military Veterans) Student Support Services (Undergraduate Students) Ronald E. McNair (Graduate School Preparation for Undergraduates) Educational Opportunity Centers (Adults)
1
Educational Talent Search (ETS) Goal The goal of Educational Talent Search (ETS) is to increase the number of youth, 6th-12th grade, from disadvantaged backgrounds to complete high school and enroll in a postsecondary institution.
Services Academic, financial, career, or personal counseling and mentoring Career exploration Tutorial services Information on postsecondary education Exposure to college campuses Information on student financial assistance Assistance in completing college admissions and financial aid applications Assistance in preparing for college entrance exams Workshops for the families of participants
ETS in Colorado There are five ETS programs, hosted by the following institutions and agencies: Arapahoe Community College Colorado State University Denver Scholarship Foundation Fort Lewis College The Greeley Dream Team, Inc.
The total federal funding for the five programs equals $1,429,934
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3,264: Number of Participants Served
76%: Percent of Low Income and First Generation Participants
90%: Persistence in Secondary School
96%: High School Graduation Rate
92%: Percentage of Students Applying for College Admissions
80%: Percentage of Students Applying for Financial Aid
70%: Post Secondary Enrollment Rate
Upward Bound (UB) Goal The goal of Upward Bound (UB) is to increase academic skills, motivation, and the rates at which
participants enroll in and graduate from institutions of postsecondary education. Upward Bound
programs also provide a six-week summer experience on a college campus.
Services Academic, financial, career and personal counseling services Exposure to academic programs, cultural events and college campuses Tutorial services including instruction in core subjects Assistance in completing college and financial aid applications Work study positions to expose participants to careers requiring postsecondary degrees
UB in Colorado There are 12 UB programs, hosted by the following institutions:
Adams State College Colorado Mountain College (2) Colorado State University-Fort Collins Colorado State University-Pueblo Fort Lewis College LULAC National Education Center, Inc. Metropolitan State College Pueblo Community College University of Colorado Boulder University of Colorado Denver University of Northern Colorado
The total federal funding for the 12 programs equals $4,028,043
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901: Number of Participants Served
81%: Percent of Low Income and First Generation Participants
93%: High School Graduation Rate
81%: Post-Secondary Enrollment Rate
80%: Postsecondary Persistence
Upward Bound Math/Science (UBMS)
Goal Upward Bound Math Science (UBMS) is a specialized UB program, with the collaboration of math and
science centers. The goal of UBMS is to help students recognize and develop their potential in math
and science and to encourage them to pursue postsecondary education in these fields.
Services Year-round counseling and advisement Exposure to university faculty who do research in math or science Summer programs with intensive math and science focus Tutoring Participant-conducted scientific research under the guidance of a faculty member or graduate
student serving as the participant’s mentor
UBMS in Colorado There are 2 UBMS program, hosted by the following institution:
Trinidad State Junior college LULAC National Education Center, Inc.
The total federal funding for the two programs equals $608,904
4
125: Number of Participants Served
75%: Percent of Low Income and First Generation Participants
100%: High School Graduation Rate
93%: Post-Secondary Enrollment Rate
88%: Postsecondary Persistence
Veterans Upward Bound (VUB)
Goal The goal of Veterans Upward Bound (VUB) is to increase the rates at which participants enroll in and
graduate from institutions of post-secondary education.
VUB serves low-income, first-generation military veterans who are preparing to enter postsecondary
education.
Services Intensive basic skills development in academic subjects Short-term remedial refresher classes for veterans who are high school graduates but have de-
layed postsecondary education Academic, financial, and personal counseling Tutorial services Assistance in completing college and financial aid applications Assistance in securing veterans services from other locally available resources
VUB in Colorado There are two VUB programs, hosted by the following institutions:
Colorado State University-Pueblo Metropolitan State College of Denver
The total federal funding for the 2 programs equals $530,943
5
241: Number of Participants Served
70%: Percent of Low Income and First Generation Participants
58%: Post-Secondary Placement Rate within 1st year
6
Student Support Services (SSS)
Goal The goal of Student Support Services (SSS) is to increase the college retention and graduation rates
of first-generation, low-income, and disabled students. SSS helps facilitate the process of transition
from one level of higher education to the next, particularly from 2-year degree programs to 4-year
degree programs.
Services Instruction in reading, writing, math, and/or study skills Tutorial services Academic, financial, and personal counseling Assistance in securing admission and financial aid for enrollment in graduate programs Information about career options Mentoring
SSS in Colorado There are 24 SSS programs, hosted by the following institutions:
Adams State University Aims Community College & STEM3 Colorado Mesa University Colorado Mountain College (2 programs) Colorado State University-Fort Collins Colorado State University-Pueblo Community College of Aurora Community College of Denver Fort Lewis College & STEM3 Lamar Community College
The total federal funding for the 24 programs equals $6,253,808
Metropolitan State University of Denver Northeastern Junior College Otero Junior College Pikes Peak Comm. College & Disabled Stu Serv. Pueblo Community College Trinidad State Junior College Trinidad State Junior College Valley Campus University of Colorado Boulder University of Colorado Denver University of Northern Colorado
4,335: Number of Participants Served
79%: Percent of Low Income and First Generation Participants
80%: Persistence to Graduation
90%: Good Academic Standing
Educational Opportunity Centers (EOC) Goal The goal of Educational Opportunity Centers (EOC) is to increase the number of first-generation and
limited-income adult participants who enroll in programs of postsecondary education. An important
objective of EOC is to counsel participants on financial aid options and to assist in the application.
Services Academic advising Disseminating information on post-secondary educational opportunities Information on students financial assistance Tutoring Mentoring Career workshops Assistance in completing applications for college admissions, testing and financial aid Media activities designed to educate the community on higher education
EOC in Colorado There are three EOC programs, hosted by the following institutions:
Colorado State University-Fort Collins Colorado State University-Pueblo Community College of Denver
The total federal funding for the three programs equals $1,664,236
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7,455: Number of Participants Served
74%: Percent of Low Income and First Generation Participants
52%: Post-Secondary Enrollment Rate
191: Participants Enrolling in 4-year Institutions
2,032: Participants Enrolling in 2-year Institutions
Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Program
Goal The goal of the McNair program is to increase the attainment of the PhD by students from
underrepresented segments of society.
This program is designed to prepare participants for doctoral studies through involvement in
research and other scholarly activities.
Institutions work closely with participants through their undergraduate requirements, encourage
their entrance into graduate programs, and track their progress to successful completion of
advanced degrees.
Services Research opportunities Mentoring Summer internships Seminars Tutoring Academic counseling Assistance in securing admission and financial aid for enrollment in graduate programs
McNair in Colorado There is one McNair program, hosted by the following institution:
University of Northern Colorado
The total federal funding for the program equals $252,846
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37: Number of Participants Served
78%: Percent of Low Income and First Generation Participants
95%: Completion of Scholarly Research
81%: Graduate School Enrollment Rate
100%: Graduate School Persistence
Colorado District 1
5,232 TRIO Participants
8 programs:
Community College of Denver www.ccd.edu
Educational Opportunity Center
Student Support Services
Denver Scholarship Foundation www.denverscholarship.org
Educational Talent Search
Metropolitan State University of Denver
www. msudenver.edu Student Support Services
Upward Bound
Veterans Upward Bound
University of Colorado at Denver www.ucdenver.edu
Student Support Services
Upward Bound
Federal Funding for District 1: $2,658,130
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Jose Hernandez CU Denver,
Student Support Services
Jose Hernandez is currently enrolled in the nursing program at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus (AMC). He was selected into the nursing program as an honor student. In addition to all the hard work he has to put into his studies in the nursing , as a first-generation, low-income student, Jose has to work while enrolled to continue to help support his family. He works part-time for the Office of Inclusion and Outreach at AMC, helping to expose and educate underrepresented students of all ages and backgrounds to help them prepare for entry into the competitive professional health career fields. Additionally, Jose works as a surgical tech and advanced care partner at the birth center of the CU Hospital where he aspires to work as a nurse midwife in the future. Jose came into the University of Colorado Denver TRIO Student Support Services (SSS) Program in fall 2007 as a new freshman. He excelled at CU Denver, completing his Bachelor of Science degree in spring 2013, graduating with Cum Laude Honors and Biology as his major. Jose listened to the advice of his staff and mentors at TRIO SSS and throughout the university and took his time completing his degree so that he could really focus on getting the best grades possible. The road was not easy for him as he knew he had to study harder than he had in high school. He knew also that he needed to improve his math skills as he felt that math was his weakness while as a high school student. With advice from mentors and teachers, he worked his way through the community college developmental math classes to better prepare himself for college level math and it paid off for him as he excelled in his math courses at CU Denver and ended up tutoring math for TRIO SSS students. He also worked as a Peer Mentor for the program helping his mentees to understand the steps involved in getting into these competitive health fields. During his time at CU Denver, Jose was admitted to the Kaiser Permanente internship program through the Undergraduate Pre-Health Program administered through the Office of Inclusion and Outreach at the AMC. He received scholarship assistance through Kaiser, including funding for a summer study abroad program to Spain, where he studied medical Spanish. He came back that fall semester and then completed another study abroad experience the following year in Guatemala. He recently was awarded a Critical Language Scholarship through the US Department of State and he will be learning Hindi this summer in India. Jose has been having wonderful experiences in the nursing program and he loves the opportunity to be a service provider, especially for low-income and Spanish speaking communities. He feels he can really make a difference in providing important health care services to underserved people in his community.
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Colorado District 2
2,969 TRIO Participants
6 programs:
Colorado State University
www.colostate.edu
Educational Opportunity Center
Educational Talent Search
Student Support Services
Upward Bound
University of Colorado at Boulder
www. colorado.edu
Student Support Services
Upward Bound
Federal Funding for District 2: $2,521,561
Ivory Owens Community College of Denver,
Student Support Services
Ivory Owens has participated in TRIO Student Support Services at CCD for over three years. He will finish his associate’s degree in Human Services in the summer of 2015 and then transfer to Metropolitan State University of Denver. Mr. Owens stated, “I came to a roadblock in my life where I had to make a decision whether I wanted to live or not. I come from the streets. I had to learn the streets. I had to survive on the streets. I have been incarcerated before and every time that I have done time I have told myself, ‘This is it. This is the last time.’ While I was doing time, I earned my GED in 1999. That was a turning point in my life. Education came to the forefront of my thoughts. I wanted to further my understanding and get out of the rut that I was in. I didn’t want to return to the streets where I came from. That is what made me change. I wanted to live. I wanted to be accepted and respected and acknowledged in society.” “Fifteen years ago I was a ward of the State. I had an interest in making changes in my life but I did not
know the direction or have the person in my life to enlighten me or encourage me until I came to college.
That is where I had the advice, the assistance, the courage and - I’d even say - the love. Where I was
fifteen years ago, there was no love. There was chaos. A person feels trapped with no way to advance,
just trying to survive in the jungle. There was danger all around me. But once I came to college it was like
my eyes were opened, the shackles were taken off of me. I was able to feel free. Fifteen years ago, I didn’t
believe in it because I didn’t think I was qualified to be in college.”
“It [higher education] has opened my eyes up to the possibilities of life, of advancing beyond what I was
taught or what I had seen or lived. I no longer feel intimated when I speak to people. I feel like my voice is
just as important as theirs so I speak on it. Higher education has put me in a bracket that allows me to
speak to people that I feel are important. These people have helped me really soar past the doubts that I
had in myself. Now I do not feel alienated. I no longer feel like I am unequal to others. It has opened up
my eyes to be who I am and have more integrity and respect for myself as well as others.”
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Joseph Espinoza Colorado State University
Student Support Services
Hailing from Romeo, Colorado, a small town of 375 in the San Luis Valley, Jo-seph Espinoza was unsure if he would attend college after graduating from high school. Growing up in a rural area of Southern Colorado provided a close-knit community that acted as a sense of security in his past. He is the second to the youngest of his siblings, yet will be the first to graduate college in May 2015. In 2011, he left his family, friends, and community and came to CSU as part of the Key Explore Community: a residential learning community which offers guidance to students by helping them explore their options at CSU. After gaining a holistic look at health care, he decided his focus at CSU would be on health promotion. During his first year at CSU he held a work study position as a Program Assistant for the Boys and Girls Club of America where he worked with students K-12. But it was during his second year at CSU that he held a work study position at the CORE Center where he learned so much about working with youth. It was at CORE where he experienced working with children that have been through trauma, poverty, language barriers, and so much more. This is where he could see a great disparity, stating that “these children needed guidance in their studies as well as their outlook on life.” At this time, Joseph’s focus began to shift into other areas of health promotion. “Getting involved with professional organizations, such as the TRIO Student Support Services Academic Advancement Center (AAC), has also been very helpful." The AAC is an organization that he applied to be a part of because of the support. “Having the opportunity to work with a retention specialist with not only academic issues, but life issues in general has been extremely helpful. All of the TRIO programs have this great feeling of family and support that can be vital for some students to succeed in their transition to and through college.” The AAC has provided him the support to help him stay on track with his major and his campus involvement. Joseph is currently is completing a prestigious internship with the Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), just outside the Washington D.C. area. The interns gain their experience in the program through practical application through projects, special assignments, or research that support federal, state, and community-based programs, policies, and best practices in the prevention and treatment of substance abuse and mental illness. After completing his internship, Joseph plans to return to school and pursue a Master’s degree in the field of student affairs. “Giving others opportunities to move forward is what’s needed; sometimes having just one person believe in you can make the biggest difference in your life. My mom has always had the strongest belief in me even when she didn’t understand, but it made me believe in myself more.”
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Sheena Martinez Colorado State University,
Upward Bound
Sheena Martinez joined CSU’s Upward Bound program after moving to Greeley, Colorado the middle of her sophomore year in high school. Moving to a new community in high school was challenging for Sheena and she found herself feeling as though she didn’t belong in her new surroundings. Her counselor saw that she was struggling and suggested that she meet with the Upward Bound advisor. Sheena credits finding her motivation to her advisor who, throughout her final two years in high school, helped her to gain confidence and under-
stand the importance of college. Her summers in Upward Bound allowed her to engage and thrive in so-cial settings in ways that she felt she wasn’t able to do in her own high school. It gave her a new sense of herself and helped her to gain important leadership skills. These skills would prove to be invaluable for Sheena throughout her university career at Colorado State University. As a university student, Sheena was involved in a variety of programs and organizations. She also held a variety of jobs including one with the Office of Admissions over the course of her enrollment at CSU. Her involvement and personal experience made her realize that she wanted to give back and help students in the same way she had been given help. Sheena went on to work as summer staff for Upward Bound and then took on a temporary position with the program after graduating from CSU in 2006. Since leaving CSU, Sheena has been working for Georgetown University, spending the first three years in Washington D.C in the Office of Student Financial Services. The remainder of her time has been at Georgetown’s branch campus in Doha, Qatar where she has worked with a variety of programs in the Office of Student Development. In her current role, she manages the Educational Enrichment division, which is geared towards outreach programs for local and international high school students. Her work with these outreach programs have been informed by her years in Upward Bound and she hopes they will create access and awareness for students abroad learning the value of a college degree. In addition to the Educational Enrichment programs, Sheena also runs a co-curricular conflict studies program that includes 20 hours of class instruction to help students understand the historical issues as well as the current state of post-conflict countries, culminating in a trip to the country of study. Seeing the world through this lens has provided Sheena with an opportunity to see commonalities in the human experience and has helped to provide her with a greater understanding of herself and her purpose. Without Upward Bound, Sheena knows that these experiences would have never been a reality for her. She will be returning to the US in the fall to finish her Master’s in Student Affairs in Higher Education.
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Colorado District 3
4,694 TRIO Participants
17 Programs:
Adams State University www.adams.edu
Student Support Services Upward Bound
Colorado Mesa University
www.coloradomesa.edu Student Support Services
Colorado Mountain College http://www.coloradomtn.edu/
Student Support Services (Steamboat Campus) Upward Bound (Edwards Campus)
Student Support Services (Glenwood Campus) Upward Bound (West Garfield)
Colorado State University-Pueblo www.colostate-pueblo.edu
Educational Opportunity Center Student Support Services
Upward Bound Veterans Upward Bound
Fort Lewis College www.fortlewis.edu
Educational Talent Search Student Support Services & STEM3 Student Support Services
Upward Bound
Pueblo Community College www.pueblocc.edu
Student Support Services Upward Bound
Federal Funding for District 3: $4,989,575
Kent Clifton Colorado State University-Pueblo,
Veterans Upward Bound
Kent Clifton “barely made the grades to even finish high school”. He didn’t neces-sarily take his academics seriously, but he maintained a 2.0 GPA to be eligible to play sports. He was in wrestling, track and cross country as he grew up in Wellsburg, West Virginia. Sports helped take his mind off of his family life. In childhood, Kent witnessed his father abuse his mother. After his parents divorced, his mother remarried. Later, he witnessed his stepfather and uncle abuse another close family member. After that, he and his three siblings were raised by a single mother. “Life became real tough at that point as we were so poor, I didn’t have any cool clothes to wear...the ridicule I faced would impact my life forever,” Kent said. “I did whatever I could to fit in, and I excelled in sports despite all of my challenges.” Kent’s desire to wrestle motivated him to walk ten miles round trip every Saturday to make mandatory practices. The escapism that sports provided Kent, still couldn't distract him from the other constant challenges that faced him at home, especially when his mother turned to alcohol and marijuana to cope with her problems. The people that his mother began to associate with continued to be abusive to Kent and his siblings. “We would have to stand in a corner for eight hours with our hands in the air, and our only breaks were meals, where we still had to remain standing to eat,” Kent said. He briefly left to live with his grandmother while his mother recovered from alcoholism, but that time in his life, he attributes as being his turning point. Kent went on to join the military. It was a chance for a new start and to get away from all of the troubles that plagued him. Yet, while the military took him farther away from Wellsburg, it didn’t solve all of his problems. Kent was deployed to Bosnia. “During my deployment I witnessed and experienced things that would change my mental makeup forever,” he said. “I would come home and have constant nightmares, anxiety attacks, and major depression, which I still battle to this day.” Kent has never shared his story until now. His belief in TRIO is so great, that he was willing to share his past in order to preserve the future of TRIO. Kent said, “I don’t use my life as a crutch or an excuse. I just continue to pick myself up off the ground and to be the man I am today.” In fact, Kent decided to go to college and give it his all. He attended Pueblo Community College where he was inducted into the Phi Theta Kappa Honors Society and graduated with a 3.64 GPA and Honors cum laude. Later, he transferred to Colorado State University-Pueblo where he joined Veterans Upward Bound. During the times when he wanted to give up, Kent’s TRIO advisor encouraged him and provided him with resources to make it through difficult times. TRIO’s provision of math tutoring allowed him to finally enter into college algebra. The TRIO office gave him a quiet place to study and his advisors were always there to listen when times “got tough and there was no one else to turn to.” Kent said TRIO helped him manage all of his challenges, including adapting to an educational and a non-military environment as well as with his mental and emotional struggles. From the kid who was voted most likely to get beat up on the first day of sixth grade to the man he is today, Kent prides himself on his accomplish-ments, on overcoming every obstacle thrown his way and about his bachelor's degree in 2013. He is President of the veterans’ club at CSU-Pueblo and volunteers at events to promote TRIO. He also serves as a peer mentor “TRIO works because every person that is involved contributes to society,” Kent said. “[TRIO employees] volunteer their time and energy to worthy causes and help participants overcome many difficult challenges that
might not be possible without TRIO.” 16
Tyler Martinez Fort Lewis College,
Upward Bound
Tyler Martinez joined the TRIO Upward Bound program at Fort Lewis College as a high school sophomore. He qualified for the program as income eligible academically at-risk, and as a potential first generation college student. Both he and his grandmother, who was raising him, were eager to have the assistance provided by Upward Bound. Tyler had concerns about how he would pay for college. His goals were to get an education and a good job, and to be the first in his family to go to college.
He liked school and attended regularly, but sometimes he needed the motivation from his Upward Bound advisor to maintain his grades and participate more actively in his classes. Upward Bound was always there to remind him of the value of continuing his education and realizing his dream of attending college.
Tyler also participated for two years in the Upward Bound summer residential program held on the Fort Lewis Campus every year. He was always eager to learn and participate, and his attitude was always positive despite the hardships he sometimes faced. He loved being outdoors and enjoyed hiking and camping activities that were part of the program. He was always kind and helpful to other students and program staff.
During his senior year, as all seniors are prone to do, Tyler’s interest in school work and college preparation began to wane. His advisor met with him weekly to keep him on task and helped him apply for colleges, scholarships, and financial aid. Although Tyler was in the throes of ‘senioritis’, he gamely attended weekly meetings, and forged ahead with his applications, essays, and test preparation.
In the spring of 2014, he was admitted to his first choice for higher education: Fort Lewis College. He received several scholarships and substantial financial aid. He met with Upward Bound Program’s Director Marya Corrigan several times in late spring to review his financial awards and college costs. He decided to live on campus in order to have the full college experience and be more independent. He joined Fort Lewis College’s TRIO Student Support Program (Program for Academic Advancement) and began receiving assistance from that program’s director (Jenn Wagnon) on a regular basis. He continues to take advantage of campus resources and is about to successfully complete his freshman year. Tyler is a shining example of what someone with perseverance and determination can do, and the support of the various TRIO programs at Fort Lewis College are proud to share in his success.
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Colorado District 4
2,307 TRIO Participants
12 Programs:
Aims Community College www.aims.edu
Student Support Services & STEM SSS
Greeley Dream Team
www.thegreeleydreamteam.org Educational Talent Search
Lamar Community College www.lamarcc.edu
Student Support Services
Northeastern Junior College www.njc.edu
Student Support Services
Otero Junior College
www.ojc.edu Student Support Services
Trinidad State Junior College www.trinidadstate.edu
Student Support Services Upward Bound Math/Science
Student Support Services (Valley Campus)
University of Northern Colorado www.unco.edu
McNair Program Student Support Services
Upward Bound
Federal Funding for District 4: $3,212,060
Heidi Nieto Greeley Dream Team,
Educational Talent Search
Heidi was a member of the Educational Talent Search (ETS)
program with The Greeley Dream Team since she was in the 6th
grade. She credits the program with showing her options for her
future and giving her the tools necessary to make those options a
reality.
During her four years in high school, Heidi had to face many
unexpected challenges. The first challenge was the passing of her
mother due to illness. Heidi considered her mother to be “the
rock that held her family together”. Shortly thereafter, her father started to become ill leaving
Heidi to take care of the house and siblings, which included her disabled sister. Life threw her
yet another curve ball during this challenging time when she discovered that she was pregnant.
Her father was supportive when he found out the news and was eager to meet his grandchild.
Unfortunately, just three weeks before the baby was born, Heidi had to attend a funeral for her
father.
Despite these adversities during her high school years Heidi never used them as an excuse for
not working to her full potential. As a senior in high school she was selected as a recipient of
the Dream Team Honors Scholarship and was accepted to the University of Northern Colorado
(UNC), where she is currently finishing up her first year of college. Heidi says “ETS means a lot
to me. They were the ones who really made me feel like I still had a future to conquer. ETS
were the people who had my back just like a family.” She is a highly motivated young lady and
continues to reach out The Greeley Dream Team’s ETS program for support and guidance as she
moves forward with her education and has no plans of letting life stop her from reaching her
future goals.
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Phu Mai University of Northern Colorado,
Student Support Services & McNair Scholars
Phu Mai was born and raised in Vietnam. When he was eight years old, his family moved to Denver, Colorado. Moving to a different country had its many challenges. Despite Phu’s strug-gles with the American culture and language, he persevered through his K-6 grades. In the 7th grade and through high school, he was a participant in the AVID program which provided him the academic and social support needed to prepare him for college. By the end of his 9th grade, with the help of his AVID teacher Ms. Donna Starbuck, Phu felt more confident in regards to his academics and the English language. He completed high school with a 4.0 GPA and was ranked 10% of his graduating class.
Phu attributes AVID with facilitating his decision to apply to the University of Northern Colorado (UNC). He also applied to the Center for the Human Enrichment (CHE) TRIO program. As a 2011 cohort CHE participant Phu took full advantage of the program’s academic services. From the very beginning he was committed to working hard and being successful. Consequently, at the end of his first semester, he made the list of the 2012 First Year Scholars which requires earning a 3.5 and above cumulative GPA. Furthermore, he made the 2013-14 Dean’s Honor Roll which requires students who earn between a 3.5-3.74 GPA.
During his junior year, he was admitted into the McNair Scholars Program, where he conducted a study, presented at a national conference, and published his research. The title of Phu’s research study is Illness: Understanding, Influences, and Treatment. Phu will be graduating in May 2015 with an Anthropology degree and double minors in Criminal Justice and Chemistry. He plans to pursue a master’s degree in Public Health.
Phu feels he’s “lucky enough to have participated in two TRIO programs at UNC. The Center for Human Enrichment (CHE) has given me a home away from home. Through the McNair Scholars program, I was able to expand my knowledge of research and prepare for graduate level work.” This incredible young man believes that with hard work, lots of determination, good time management, and effort anything is possible.
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21
Colorado District 5
379 TRIO Participants
4 programs:
Pikes Peak Community College
www.ppcc.edu
Disabled Student Support Services
Student Support Services
LULAC National Education Center, Inc.
Upward Bound
Upward Bound Math & Science
Federal Funding for District 5: $944,239
Frankie Jaramillo LULAC National Education Center, Inc., Upward Bound Frankie lost her mother when she was only 12. She and her siblings had to go live with her grandma– school was a struggle for her, but she prides herself on overcoming that challenge. She’s grateful to TRIO for the role it played in her life, and she even took the initiative and signed up her brother and sister for Upward Bound Math Science. Through the Upward Bound (UB) program, Frankie learned time management skills and was able to get after-school tutoring for her pre-calculus class. “ I loved that I was going to have help on my homework instead of struggling,” . One of the events that Frankie enjoyed the most was when she went to Pikes Peak Community College for the TRIO summer program. She gained invaluable skills and knowledge, but she also appreciated the professors who taught the courses. She said the UB instructors offered to read and edit academic papers even after the program was over. Often, Frankie’s TRIO program took those who had successfully completed the courses on a social/cultural experi-ence trip. In addition to the fun trip, Frankie said she loved all of the offerings through the program. “I liked how the field trips were fun yet tied into some type of educational component,” she said. She remembers going to see a science show at a museum and went to a cave and learned about cave formations. These experiences helped fuel her interest for chemistry and the sciences. In fact, she wants to major in chemistry and education, and eventually become a chemistry teacher. Frankie currently attends CSU-Pueblo, and is interested in returning to volunteer with LULAC UB.
Jimmy Joseph “JJ” Porcadilla LULAC National Education Center, Inc., Upward Bound Jimmy’s mom was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, which made the transition his transition from elementary to middle school difficult. “My mom was the rock and foundation of our family,” “It breaks my heart every day.” JJ said. With all of the changes taking place in his family, JJ began to lose focus from his studies. “I came to high school as kind of a slacker,” he said. “I barely passed most of my classes, and that made me question myself.” During tenth grade, he turned around and strived for academic success. He joined the Twenty-First Century Pro-
gram, which included rigorous courses and students who held themselves to high academic standards. If JJ failed any of his courses, he would automatically be kicked out. This motivated him to work hard , compete with his peers and to seek out various opportunities. One such opportunity was LULAC’s Upward Bound Pro-gram. As with most UB students, JJ was interested in the tutoring component, especially with Chinese. Alt-hough he appreciates the tutoring, he also loves stopping in to say “hi” and simply speaking with his advi-sors. He appreciates the environment that TRIO creates and how his UB office promotes diversity. JJ said that joining UB was one of the moments that defined his turnaround. He now considers himself one of the top students at Harrison High School in Colorado Springs, and stays highly involved in various activities. JJ also considers himself a leader in the TRIO program. JJ wants to major in behavioral psychology with a minor in musical theater. He hopes TRIO programs continue to thrive because “the younger genera-tion needs something like them...because [TRIO] shapes who students will become in the future and helps turn them around.”
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Colorado District 6
773 TRIO Participants
2 programs:
Arapahoe Community College
www.arapahoe.edu
Educational Talent Search
Community College of Aurora
www.ccaurora.edu
Student Support Services
Federal Funding for District 6: $443,149
Ezana Alem Arapahoe Community College
Educational Talent Search
Ezana graduated from South High School in Denver. He participated in Arapahoe Community
College’s Educational Talent Search program from 2010 until the time he graduated.
Ezana’s TRIO advisors consider him to be “an inspiring young man and a leader amongst his
peers.” His desire to make an impact in the world motivated him to become very involved in high
school.
Ezana organized a dance at South High School to help raise money for the United Nations Children’s
Fund (UNICEF) organization. He was disturbed by how many African countries had such low
educational opportunities for their youth and wanted to help build more schools.
Ezana was also involved in the Denver Student Jail to
School Track Campaign for Denver Public Schools. He
spoke to many of the DPS Principals and administrators
to inform them of the injustices of students who are
getting arrested for small offenses within the school
grounds and how keeping them in school would benefit
them more in the future and help decrease the dropout
rate.
Ezana came to the U.S. as a refugee from Ethiopia and
lived with his aunt in the states while his parents
remained in Ethiopia. TRIO assisted Ezana with the
post-secondary process and helped make some of his
decisions easier. Ezana was even awarded as a TRIO
Achiever during the Metro Denver celebration of the
national TRIO Day
Ezana now attends the University of Oregon to major in
global studies. He is always grateful for the services he
received and for the guidance that his TRIO advisors
have provided for him to continue his education.
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aspireonline.org/Colorado
www.coenet.us
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