Last week we completed our fall series of College Campus Visits and Fall Workshop. 29 students participated in campus visits to University of Wisconsin-Stout, Univer-sity of Wisconsin-River Falls and University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. The workshop was held November 2-4 in Ste-vens Point. 60 students and five chaperones attended. Many diverse activities were provided to students such as teambuilding at the Central Wisconsin Environmental Sta-tion to workshop sessions on campus ranging from Finan-cial Literacy to an Alumni Panel. All attendees were lodged at the Country Inn & Suites. A two-day workshop was necessary since many students were not able to attend summer 2012 session because of the defunding issue. Overall both events were highly successful. This year over many other program seniors took charge and led younger students concerning the virtue of being an Upward Bound-er. What's up? Well I and Judy will begin recruiting new students in early December. Applications were sent to schools around November 1. In 2012-2013 Upward Bound will need to add at least 40 new students to ensure that its’ required number of 93 per year are met under the newly funded grant. So in reality we will need about 100 active students each year or we get in trouble with the United States Department of Education. Unfortunately by having to accept so many new students a lot more of our current Upward Bounders will be involuntarily "opted out" during the 2013 Summer Component. I will do my best as your Director to garner as much funding as possible to ensure the maximum number of students will be able to attend the 2013 Summer Component. The grant states we must serve 60 students in summer. Currently Upward Bound will be able to have enough money to serve 66 at this time. Unfor-tunately, 50 students of the 66 must be new or never have attended a summer session. To let all students attend as we should, about 80 Upward Bounders need to attend summer 2013. Continued on page 2.

The Friendly Horizon

Director’s Update

The University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point Upward Bound Periodic Publication (715) 346-3337 www.uwsp.edu/special/upbound

It feels GREAT to be able to welcome you all to the UW-Stevens Point Upward Bound Program’s academ-ic year. I have a new found appreciation for my work and the students as we almost didn’t get here due to the situa-tion with our grant funding. While this past summer was highly stressful and about dozen students got denied ser-vices they should have had, the whole grant defunding/refunding process helped me learn the importance of not giving up on achieving a goal that you are passionate about. The UWSP Upward Bound Program’s grant appli-cation to the U.S. Department of Education was unjustly and erroneously scored but instead of accepting that score and going home, we decided to appeal the decision even though it meant a tremendous amount of work on our part and support from UWSP. I was committed to getting the grant back because I feel passionately that this program works and that our students deserve every opportunity to prepare for, enter into and graduate from college. It took A LOT of hard work, support from UWSP, families, stu-dents and alumni and most of all a “never give up” atti-tude for us to get the grant back. I’m not shy to admit that the refunding of the UWSP UB Program as a result of all these factors and then some was probably the single most important and gratifying accomplishment of my career. This accomplishment didn’t come without having to over-come some challenging and disheartening obstacles, but in the end, our dedication and efforts paid off. It truly was an indescribable feeling. Continued on page 2.

Judy Says...

Looking at this semester’s newsletter may appear different. We’ve decided to try something new! Along with our regular newsletters in the fall, winter and spring, we’ll be adding newsletters available on line only . These online additions will include more pictures, some act questions, birthdays, and other fun activities.!

Personally I’m looking out my window at Nelson Hall watching it snow for the first time. While snow is good it is also wet and cold. I am looking forward to going deer hunting for a week at my cabin in Michigan. For me and several friends this is an annual event. Since there is no running water, we take Sauna’s to get clean. Overall it's a lot of fun and we catch up on events in each other's lives since when you work there is very little time to visit and "lay back “ as many of my students can do. In short what I'm trying to tell Upward Bounders is don't be in a big hur-ry to start working since once you do work will be manda-tory for about the next 40 years of your life. Enjoy your free time school/college and learning about new things. One always has time to work! If you know of anyone who wishes to apply for Upward Bound have them contact myself or Judy and weekend tell them "the scoop." In December Upward Bound will sponsor the fall series of Parent/Participant Workshops. Students and their parents need to attend. All should remember the Parent/Student Contract that was signed when you were admitted to the program. Part of this responsibility is attendance at these workshops. I un-derstand that we all have very busy schedules but how will one learn about, what is needed for college, finding the money to go and the right steps to take to prepare for col-lege if you do not attend these workshops? Thank you all supporters of the UWSP-Upward Bound program Sincerely,

Henry Wojnicki

Students, you too can experience the euphoria that comes with achieving your goals by applying the same prin-ciples employed by the UB staff to get the grant back: put forth the effort, be focused and committed toward accom-plishing a goal, have a positive mindset, do what needs to be done and don’t get discouraged when challenges arise. You truly can do anything you set your mind to. With UWSP UB’s new grant, we have more students to serve and more services we have to provide and yet our staff and funding levels remains unchanged. Our resources and my time are stretched really thin this academic year, but I’m up for the challenge and will do my best for you if you are willing to also do your part. Your job in the coming months is to at-tend school regularly, make a sincere effort, seek help when struggling in a class, attend scheduled required school visits with the UB staff as well as program events and do not give up when the going gets tough. In a nutshell, be committed to doing what it takes to get to college and create the future you want for yourself. Now it will not be always fun, but if you can work with me and the rest of the UB staff, together we can make this academic year the ride of a lifetime. In the words of Henry Ford, “Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goal.” Guess what? Clear eyes, full heart, can’t lose!

45 Consecutive Summer Sessions!

UW-Stevens Point hosted its 45th consecutive Upward Bound Program Summer Session on cam-pus from June 17 - July 17, 2012. Although the sum-mer program was shorter than previous years, the academic accomplishments and good times were ex-traordinary! Approximately 51 students from the 10 school districts in northern and central Wisconsin participated in the shortened summer session. This summer the students who participated in the summer session were housed in Hyer Hall and enrolled in at least 7 classes; which focuses on reading, writing, math, science, foreign language, career development and current events, test-taking/study skills, and com-puter skills. The students also participated in man-datory 90 minute study sessions each evening in ad-dition to their class work. These students also were involved in a variety of recreational activities, which included trips to Ontanogon, Michigan; Duluth, Min-nesota, and Colorado! The seniors had a special trip to Green Bay, where they toured the New Zoo, then stopped in Appleton for Funfest Blvd! The summer Upward Bound Students participated in numerous festivities on campus, these included swimming at

the Health Enhancement Center, playing basketball in the Multipurpose Activity Center, and playing volley-ball at the Allen Center Courts. In addition to these endeavors, students partook in fundraising at the Plover’s Wal-Mart, spending 4 hours selling brats, hot dogs, and discussing how Upward Bound has impacted their lives in a positive way!

Upward Bounders Visit The Centennial State

44 students and six staff took part in a five day trip to Colorado as part of the 2012 Summer Component. Students rode all night on the bus and arrived in Denver around 3 PM on July 13. After freshening up and relaxing the group was taken out to dinner and shopping at the Park Meadows Mall. The fol-lowing morning after breakfast the bus loaded to tour Lookout Mountain and Buffalo Bills grave. In the afternoon students enjoyed themselves at Elitch Gardens a local waterpark. In the evening all returned once again to the Drury Inn to rest. On Sunday morning the bus loaded for Canon City which has Roy-al Gorge Bridge and Park nearby. Most students were awed by the breath and depth of the Stone Canyon they walked over by footbridge. Upon return to Denver a dinner was provided at Casa Bonita an ethnic restaurant near Denver. The final day Monday in Colorado consisted of going to Manitou Springs which is at the base of Pikes Peak. Many believe the highlight of the entire trip was a slow but unbelievably beautiful ride to the summit of Pikes Peak via Cog Railway. While it was over 100° at the bottom snow was coming down rather hard at the summit. In the late afternoon students ate their final dinner in Colorado and proceeded to embark on the long bus ride back home.

“It’s Business Time” Wins Annual Sweaty Four Hockey Tournament

There’s no doubt that the highlight of every Upward Bound summer session is the annual “Sweaty Four” hockey tournament and 2012 was no exception. This year’s tournament was held indoors on July 7th at the UWSP Multipurpose Activity Center (MAC) and it drew together a large crowd of staff, parents, UB alumni and friends of players who all came out to enjoy the event. Each of the 4 teams in the tournament played two high energy games of floor hockey with the 2012 overall champions being the “It’s Business Time” team co-captained by seniors Samantha Kelly and Kahlo Vue. Other members of the championship team included Zach Carl-son, Melanie Consolver, Nick Dean, Michaela Galganski, Dua Ci Khang, Jacob Kramer, Michelle Peterson, Jacob Pieffle, Breana Stillman and Clay Theis. The Hype Hydraulic team co-captained by seniors Chelly Thao and Xao Yang took 2nd place while The Green Lantern (senior co-captains Mao Khang and Pa Xiong) took 3rd place followed by The Brave Kombaters team which was co-captained by seniors Morgan Lanahan and Yvonne Polack. All in all, the annual Sweaty Four Hockey Tournament was a fun and ex-citing event that involved the participation of just about every UB student enrolled in the summer session and turned out to be one of the most competitive tourneys in recent years!

HERE’S SOMETHING YOU SHOULD KNOW . . .

The Power of a Positive Attitude

Optimism is the tendency to see life’s events in a positive way. It is the key ingredient to resiliency and personal strength. You can develop a habit of positive thinking. Remember: You cannot change what happens to you, but you can always choose how you respond to it. Here are seven helpful tips for keeping your thoughts positive. 1. Don’t let your past dictate your future. Look at each day through new eyes. 2. Take some risks. Try something new. 3. Make a difference. Volunteer. 4. It’s a fact that bad things happen to good people. Find your personal value from within, not from circumstances. 5. Prepare for the worst but hope for the best-the former makes you reasonable, the latter makes you optimistic. 6. Fake it until you make it. Choose to smile and the world may smile back. 7. Encourage others. It is hard to be pessimistic when you are trying to lift up someone else. Having a positive attitude doesn’t mean living in a fantasy land. Having realistic expectations and taking positive experiences along with the negative allows you to grow. (From Ministry Health’s Health Connection newsletter, Vol. 1, Fall 2012)

UBers Tour College Campuses Nearly 30 current UW-Stevens Point Upward Bound students in the 10th, 11th and 12th grades trekked west October 24 – 26, 2012 to visit 3 public universities in the UW System. Due to the state teacher’s convention, many UBers had a few days off from school and so they made good use of their time with no classes by exploring their postsecondary options at UW-Eau Claire, UW-Stout and UW-River Falls. At all three of the universities visited, students learned about admission requirements, financial aid, student life and special majors offered at each respective school. Upward Bound students also did a lot of walking during the full campus tours each university provided. Highlights of the walking tour of campuses included a look at a residence hall room as well as classroom buildings and athletic facilities. Overall, the Upward Bound fall college visits were a fun and meaningful way for students to either final-ize, expand or jump start their college search process. Another set of college visits will take place with Upward Bound again in spring 2013.

Weekend Workshop Brings Students To-gether for College Prep Nearly 60 UW-Stevens Point Upward Bound stu-dents rolled onto the UWSP campus November 2 – 4, 2012 for a weekend full of activities designed to prepare them for future college and career success. This year’s annual Fall Workshop was a two night affair and included more than 10 new students participating in their first Upward Bound event since the program’s federal grant was reinstated. Af-ter a pizza dinner and welcome from UWSP Vice Chancel-lor for Student Affairs Al Thompson, the workshop kicked off on Friday evening with some ice breaker activities con-ducted by Ron Strege, Director for Diversity and College Access at UWSP. The get to know you activities got the students on their feet and energized for the upcoming week-end’s activities. On Saturday morning November 3rd, the workshop participants and UB staff/chaperones plodded onto a bus bright and early to head out to the Central Wisconsin Envi-ronmental Station near Amherst Jct. While at CWES, the Upward Bound students participated in a wide variety of group games and a challenge course that focused on accom-plishing tasks requiring team work and cooperation. De-spite the chill in the air, the students really got into the ac-tivities led by the CWES staff and in fact were rather amus-ing to observe. During the afternoon hours, the workshop moved back to UWSP where students attended a large group session on positive leadership led by Tomahawk teacher Pat Steffen. Also during the afternoon hours, the Upward Bound students participated in three hour long breakout sessions on such topics as choosing a major, finan-cial aid and budgeting money and an alumni panel. All in all, it was a rather intense and jam packed workshop agenda, but the UBers stayed engaged and focused on learning. Finally on Saturday evening, there was time for some fun and recreation going roller-skating and swimming at the hotel pool. The 2012 Fall Workshop wrapped up on Sunday morning with another get-to-know you game led by a few UB upperclassmen. Also on Sunday morning, the new stu-dents were given the opportunity to hear about how the UB program can be a positive experience for them as current juniors and senior students discussed the benefits they have obtained from the program. Overall, the 2012 Fall Work-shop was quite the hectic and activity-packed affair, but the students in attendance had a meaningful learning experience and no doubt enjoyed themselves.

Upward Bound Welcomes 3 New Paraprofessionals! Kaitlyn Buchholz is majoring in Family Consumer Science At UWSP. When she’s not at home in Greenfield, she en-joys spending time with friends and family. Touhue Ly is a UWSP Psychology major with a Human Services emphasis. When he’s not keeping track of UB stu-dents and his classes, he enjoys spending time with family and friends. Touhue also enjoys reading any books and articles that catches his eye. Melanie Wolff is a Family Life Education/Nutrition major here on UWSP’s campus. Although she would like to get home to Fond du Lac to relax, Melanie has found other ways of enjoying her brief free-time. She cooks, reads, knits, hikes and bikes in the Stevens Point area.

UB’s new Program Support Specialist! Tanja Busterud became a part of the Upward Bound crew in June 2012. Although working with teens isn’t new to her (she has a teenage son of her own), she’s been enjoying the UB experience. While Tanja is more “behind the scenes” with the program, she’s looking forward to chaperoning future events! In her free time, she enjoys baking, reading and playing (almost) any type of video game!

Introducing new faces!

New Student Recruitment Underway! The UW-Stevens Point Upward Bound Program’s recruitment of new students to participate in the 2013 summer program and 2013-14 academic year has begun! Upward Bound is looking to recruit approximately 40 new students out of its 10 target schools who are currently in grades 8 through 11 and who meet program requirements for admission. Throughout the months of November and De-cember, the Upward Bound Program staff will be conducting formal recruitment presentations at high priority target schools, but eligible students in all UWSP UB target schools are encouraged to apply. Upward Bound is looking for potential program participants who meet the low-income/first generation college criteria as well have at least a 2.3 (8th & 9th graders) or 2.5 (10th & 11th graders) grade point aver-age and have an expressed interest in pursuing a postsecondary degree. Besides being available in all target school guidance offices, application packets can be downloaded from the program’s website (http://www.uwsp.edu/special/upbound) or mailed upon request by calling the Upward Bound office at 715-346-3337. The postmark deadline for completed new student applications is January 11, 2013.

All Upward Bound seniors are reminded to complete their applica-

tions for admission no later than December 1, 2012. The online application can be accessed at apply.wisconsin.edu. Get on it!

Prep for the College Capsule...

The Importance of Taking Courses That Will Prepare You For College

In high school, you must meet certain classes and subject requirements in order to gradu-ate. Colleges and universities also have requirements of their own when considering stu-dents for admission. It is important that students understand what colleges are looking for

in terms of classwork and that students be sure to enroll in these core curriculum courses in order to prepare for college and career. In order to be admitted into any of the 26 public 4 year universities in Wisconsin (UWSP for example), students must be sure to take four years of English and at least three years each of math, social studies and natural sciences. Taking at least two years of the same foreign language are also recommended and in some cases, required for admission. Also, taking advanced classes beyond the recommended core classes gives you a better chance to ready to enter college without needing remedial classes.

ACT score results for the U.S. graduating class of 2012 continue to show an alarming number of students leaving high school not fully prepared for success in college. Six out of 10 ACT-tested 2012 graduates nationally were at risk of not succeeding in college, as they failed to meet at least two of the four ACT College Readiness Benchmarks in English, mathematics, reading and sci-ence. Nearly three out of every 10 students met one of the four benchmarks! These statistics are significant because students who struggle in two or more subject areas in the first year of college are in jeopardy. They may be forced to take reme-dial courses, which slow down their progress toward earning a degree and cost them additional money. They may fall behind, be-come frustrated, lose confidence, fail or drop required classes or even drop out entirely. ACT results show the best way for students to prepare for success in college and a career is to take challenging courses in high school, study hard, and learn the material.

(These two articles were excerpted from ACT’s News You Can Use from ACT Media Relations, September 2012)

UW Colleges and DPI Announce Expanded Dual Enrollment Pro-gram High school students in Wisconsin will be able to earn college credits while still in high school under a new dual enrollment program announced this summer by the Wisconsin Depart-ment of Public Instruction (DPI) and the UW Colleges. The new partnership will allow students across the state to access UW Colleges’ courses in their high schools via classroom teachers and online. Dual enrollment courses will be taught by trained high school teachers who are approved to teach college-level courses by the appropriate UW Colleges academic department, with ongo-ing support and professional development from their high school and UW Colleges. The courses will be focused on high school juniors and seniors, but will be open to younger students as well. The dual enrollment program will accelerate students’ ability to earn UW credits, reduce the cost of obtaining a college degree, and increase the readiness of high school graduates for either college or the workplace. The program should be in place no later than the 2013-14 school year. (Excerpted from UW Help By Line newsletter, Fall 2012 Edition).

Here’s What New At the “U” UW-Stout has a new Bachelors of Science degree in Golf Enterprise Management offered both online

and on-campus UW-Stout also has four new Bachelors of Fine Arts degrees available in Graphic Design and Interactive

Media, Interior Design, Entertainment Design and Industrial Design On Campus Housing options have been added at the two year centers of UW-Fox Valley and UW-

Marinette. Both of these locations offer furnished apartment-style housing with full kitchens and bath-rooms for students only. On campus housing is also available at the two-year UW Colleges of UW-Barron County, UW-Marathon County and UW-Richland.

New ACT test registration procedure – photo upload

Starting this school year, stu-dents who want to take the ACT test will be required to

upload a recognizable photo of themselves to complete the registra-tion process. The pho-to will be printed on the student’s ACT ticket, which is required for admission on test day, and on the roster that testing staff use to

check students in. This change is being made to increase test security measures and ensure a level and fair playing field for all students who take the ACT. Photos may be submit-ted with a computer or a mobile device such as a smart phone or tab-let. Students who are not able to submit a photo electronically can send in a hard copy pa-

per photo through the mail. All Upward Bound Juniors will be mailed infor-mation on the ACT test, registration pro-cedures and a fee waiver around the first part of February in 2013. It is recom-mended that the ACT test be taken in spring of a student’s junior year.

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New Statements Added to the UW System Application for Admission

Each of the UW System campuses had updated their statements on the application for admission. As of September 1st, applicants will respond to new prompts that are located in the statement section, the campus-specific section, or both sections. Many campuses use this prompt, or a variation of this prompt, in the statement section: “Please tell us about the particular life experiences, talents, commitments and/or inter-

Monthly Report

All UB students were mailed forms and instructions for completing required monthly student activity reports during the current academic year. Students are responsible for keeping track of their homework and study habits on a monthly basis and submitting a report form at the end of each grading period (quarter). In years past, UB students were required to submit their monthly activity report form each month of the school year, but in an effort to save paper and postage, the Upward Bound Program is only requiring the report form to be submitted at the end of each grading period. The deadlines for submit-ting report forms for the 2012-13 academic year are as follows: November 12th, February 1st, April 5th, and June 17th. Any UB student who did not receive instructions or forms for completing and sub-mitting the Monthly Student Activity Report should contact Coordinator/academic Advisor Judy Young immediately at 715-346-2940.

UPWARD BOUND EVENTS!UPWARD BOUND EVENTS!UPWARD BOUND EVENTS!

Upward Bound Program #101992 204 Nelson Hall UW-Stevens Point Stevens Point, WI 54481

Visit Our Homepage: http://www.uwsp.edu/special/upbound

Parent Participation Workshops!

December 6th, 2012 at 6:00pm in Minocqua December 10th, 2012 at 6:20 in Stevens Point *As we get closer to the December dates, a letter will be going out to all parents on the specifics of the work-shops.