TRIO Upward Bound. March 2018 Volume XXVIII, Issue #6 wp.stolaf.edu/upward/ Career Day at CHS Field

Transcription

1 Submissions from the t- shirt design contest are in! Check them out on pages 4-6! Read about future plans for some of the class of 2018 in the Senior Spotlights on page 7! ST. OLAF COLLEGE TRIO Upward Bound Messenger March 2018 Volume XXVIII, Issue #6 wp.stolaf.edu/upward/ UB sophomores and juniors took a private tour of CHS field during Career Day. Vichian Thao, Yang Xiong, Kelly Vang, and Chutima Xiong in the players clubhouse at CHS field. In This Issue: DIRECTOR S NOTES: AVOID THE SENIOR SLUMP! page 2 UPCOMING EVENTS page 3 WELCOME NEW STUDENTS page 3 UB T-SHIRT DESIGNS pages 4-6 MENTOR SPOTLIGHT page 6 JUNIOR CHECK-IN page 6 SENIOR SPOTLIGHTS page 7 NEW STUDENT ORIENTATION..... page 8 SUMMER PROGRAM DATES page 8 UB CALENDAR page 9 STUDENT ARTICLE page 9 Career Day at CHS Field By: Thay Thao Upward Bound plans a Career Day every year for its sophomores and juniors to explore different careers in the workforce. This year, Upward Bound brought 70 sophomores and juniors to visit CHS Field, home of the St. Paul Saints. UB students were able to meet with professionals from a variety of different departments and learned more about the various jobs within the St. Paul Saints organization. When we arrived at the front gates of CHS Field, we immediately noticed a large slide connecting the second story penthouse to the field. It was a remnant of the types of events CHS Field offered locals and visitors during the busy Super Bowl Weekend. Eddie, the Director of Community Relations and Guest Services and our host for the day, unlocked the large gate for students and staff and we split into two groups for a private, thorough tour of the stadium. During the tours, groups were able to see the player s locker rooms, weight room and the offices and locations where Saints staff operate. UB also learned about the sustainability that was practiced during the construction and maintenance of the stadium. Students and staff were able to ask questions during the tour and learned how CHS Field is trying to be more than just a place where athletes play baseball, but also a place where game attendees can catch up, and have fun. After the tour, UB was led to the CHS Securian Club where we were able to sit in a top-level room with a great view of both the field and a skyline of downtown St. Paul. In the Securian Club, we were met with a variety of professional staff who explained their roles with the St. Paul Saints and CHS Field. Throughout the day, we were able to learn about careers, ranging from social media, marketing, promotions and even met with the Senior Vice President of the Saint Paul Saints baseball team. Continued on pg. 2

2 Career Day at CHS Field Continued Many professional staff members explained that their internships, as well as their college degree and experience, helped to land their current positions. They advocated for internships as a way to network with others while building a strong and solid resume. Fortunately, Upward Bound offers an internship to all Bridge students, so they will have one under their belt prior to entering college. By the end of the day, it was clear that the CHS/Saints staff value college and experience. Overall, Upward Bound had a fantastic time at CHS Field and learned about the variety of careers within the stadium. Upward Bound would like to thank CHS Field and the St. Paul Saints staff for being our hosts during our fantastic career day! Director s Notes: Avoid the Senior Slump By: Mari Avaloz Spring is in the air! The weather has been warming up and the temptation to skip tutoring, class and all general responsibilities can be overwhelming! HOWEVER, YOU DO NOT HAVE YOUR DIPLOMA YET!!! What all of you seniors do have is a letter of acceptance from an institution, a promise of admission to the class of However, this offer of admission is not the Golden Ticket. All colleges reserve the right to revoke your offer of admission if you show that you are giving up on high school, not completing the required courses or are taking some time away from serious academics. To college officials, slacking your senior year is a sign of academic struggles to come. Studies have shown that students who begin to slack during their senior year often continue the trend once they enter college. Colleges don t recruit students who seem bound to drop out. Not only do you need to stay in all of your classes, but you also need to pass them with strong marks or you may run the risk of entering your first semester of college on academic probation (which is way worse than UB s probation), or not entering at all. In addition to juggling class work, friends, family, and jobs, you are also responsible for dealing with the paperwork and financial aid that is necessary to attend college next year. You need to be watching the mail and your s for financial aid packages, deposit requirements and housing information. All of these items will have unique deadlines so it is important that you read the entire letter and do what it tells you by the deadline! If you have not yet received your financial aid package you need to follow up with your school as soon as possible. Are they missing materials from you? Was everything completed? You should not make any decisions about college before seeing your financial aid package. Make sure that you have all of the information necessary to make a good decision about where you ll be spending the next four years of your life! The National Reply Date, the date for letting all your colleges know whether you intend to enroll in the fall or not, is May 1 st. Frequently, this date coincides with making your first deposit, which can range from $200 - $600! Be aware of your funds and how they will need to be used. There is a possibility that you can waive you admissions deposit as part of your financial aid package, but this involves calling the financial aid office and asking a few good questions. This process takes time and planning, so start the process now! Senior year is exciting and the possibilities that are being offered to you as you pursue more education are endless! Just make sure that you re doing what you need to do now to make sure that all of those possibilities remain possible! Finally, have fun, but remember to make good decisions. Attend all of your classes. Arrive on time. Complete homework. Turn in homework. Smile. Have fun. Learn something! And always, be UB appropriate! UPCOMING EVENTS MENTOR EVENT Saturday, April 28, :30 a.m.-1:45 p.m. Como Zoo All Central and Humboldt sophomores, juniors, and seniors are required to attend. HUMBOLDT HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION Monday, June 4, :30 p.m. O Shaughnessy Auditorium HIGHLAND PARK HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION Thursday, June 7, :30 p.m. Roy Wilkins Auditorium CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION Thursday, June 7, :00 p.m. Roy Wilkins Auditorium ST. OLAF COLLEGE TRIO UPWARD BOUND MESSENGER Page 2

3 Welcome New Upward Bound Students! Julia Win - Humboldt High School Julia joined Upward Bound because she wants to go to college! Her favorite sport is tennis and she likes to listen to K-pop music. In her free time, she likes to watch movies and dramas. Her favorite movie is Train to Busan. She is not sure what she wants to do in the future, but she hopes that UB can help her decide. She is looking forward to learning new things this summer! Jenatt Lah - Humboldt High School Jenatt is excited about all the new things she will learn and experience this year with UB! She joined UB because she wants to go to college. Her favorite sport is soccer and her favorite subject in school is world history. In the future, Jenatt would like to pursue a career in nursing. Saw Htoo- Open World Learning Elijah Ojo- Open World Learning Elijah joined UB because he has the chance to get a higher education and go to college. His favorite sports include basketball, football, and ultimate frisbee. He plays the trumpet, trombone, and baritone. Elijah would like to pursue a career as a doctor. He is looking forward to this summer program! Cheng Veng- Creative Arts Secondary Cheng decided to join UB to broaden his horizons. His favorite sports are soccer, badminton, and volleyball. In his free time, he likes to dance and practice spoken word. He is not sure what career he would like to go into but he is looking forward to new experiences and knowledge. Htoo Say - Humboldt High School NO PHOTO AVAILABLE Saw decided to join UB because his teachers encouraged him to apply and he shared that it was a great opportunity! He enjoys learning math in school and likes listening to rap music. He also likes to watch action movies. In the future, Saw wants to pursue a career in engineering. He is looking forward to the evening activities in the summertime! Yue Pheng Xiong - Creative Arts Secondary Yue Pheng is looking forward to new experiences and meeting new people in UB. He joined UB because he knew that it would be great way to prepare for college. His favorite movies are Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. In his free time, he likes to volunteer. Yue Pheng would like to have many careers in his life, but most importantly, he wants to work in a field that will allow him to help others. Htoo Eh Say is looking forward to the summer program! She joined UB because she wants to learn more about college and earn a few bucks. Her favorite subjects in school are math and art. She likes listening to pop music and her favorite book is The Surrender Tree. Htoo Say is not sure what career she wants to pursue, but she wants a job that can support her financially. Molly Yang- Open World Learning Molly is looking forward to having extra time and help to do her work! Molly joined UB because she wants to go to college. Her favorite subjects in school are math and English. She listens to all types of music and in her free time, she likes to draw. She is interested in pursuing something in psychology or sociology in college. UPCOMING BIRTHDAYS Victoria Raysor-Kessel - April 5 Mirena Swart - April 7 Yunus Mohammed - April 8 Bu Wah - April 8 Lilah Vang - April 9 Mai Lee Vang- April 10 Said Mohammed - April 10 Eh Tha Paw - April 12 Lay Lu Paw - April 22 Bao Vang - April 23 Jay Xiong - April 25 Malee Yang - April 26 Kler Shee Khu - April 27 Vichian Thao - April 27 Heaven Fitsum - April 28 ST. OLAF COLLEGE TRIO UPWARD BOUND MESSENGER Page 3

4 .UB T-Shirt Designs THE DESIGNS FROM OUR ANNUAL T-SHIRT CONTEST ARE IN! STUDENTS WILL VOTE ON THEIR FAVORITE SHIRT AND THE WINNING DESIGN WILL BE UNVEILED AT THE SUMMER PROGRAM. THANK YOU TO ALL STUDENTS WHO SUBMITTED A DESIGN! A (FRONT) A (BACK) B (FRONT) B (BACK) C (FRONT) C (BACK) D (FRONT) D (BACK) E (FRONT) E (BACK) F (FRONT) F (BACK) G (FRONT) G (BACK) H (FRONT) H (BACK) ST. OLAF COLLEGE TRIO UPWARD BOUND MESSENGER Page 4

5 I (FRONT) I (BACK) J (FRONT) J (BACK) K (FRONT) L (FRONT) M (FRONT) M (BACK) N (FRONT) O (FRONT) P (FRONT) Q (FRONT) R (FRONT) R (BACK) S (FRONT) S (BACK) ST. OLAF COLLEGE TRIO UPWARD BOUND MESSENGER Page 5

6 UB students - check your or the UB Facebook page for a link to vote for your favorite t-shirt design! T (FRONT) U (FRONT) Mentor Spotlight: Kalia Vang By: Nou Yang This month s mentor spotlight is Kalia Vang! Kalia is the mentor of Central High School junior, Tosin Opakunle. Kalia is from St. Paul and graduated from the College of St. Benedict last spring with a degree in political science. Keep reading to learn more about our awesome mentor, Kalia! While in college, Kalia was involved in a few student organizations on-campus. When asked why she decided to attend St. Ben s, she shared that as a senior in high school, she wasn t sure where she wanted to go to college. She knew that she wanted to continue her education and further her studies. In the end, she chose St. Ben s because her financial aid package was far better compared to the other colleges she had applied to. Kalia currently works for the Metropolitan Council as a Program Technical Specialist. In this position, she assists the Director of the Office of Equal Opportunity by maintaining a two million department budget and tracking financial transactions. In addition, she also Junior Check-in By: Zookong Lee Kalia Vang is a Program Technical Specialist for Metropolitan Council. manages the Metropolitan Council s federal program, Disadvantaged Business Enterprise. When I asked why she chose to mentor for Upward Bound, Kalia shared that growing up she had many wonderful and motivational mentors who made a huge impact in her life and her goal is to do the same for others. My philosophy is to turn back around and help those who are in the same position that I was once in. In her free time, Kalia likes to read, walk around the lake, and eat, because she loves food. Her future goal is to continue helping others and further her career as a civil servant. Her advice to UB students is to create a bucket list, take risks, explore, and embrace ambiguity. By doing so, you would have done all that you wanted to do in your bucket list. Upward Bound would like to thank Kalia for taking the time to mentor for us and for being featured in this month s Mentor Spotlight! Juniors! Congratulations on finishing the Princeton Review ACT prep courses. St. Paul Public Schools has seen an average increase of three points on their ACT composite scores for those that have the taken courses. By now, you have taken your first ACT test. We are confident you did well and will improve on the next test in July! At this point, you re probably looking ahead to the summer and your senior year, thinking about how much fun you ll have enjoying the final days of your high school career. However, you still have necessary items to take care of! Most of you are now feeling good about the number of credits you have earned. You are probably hoping to sign-up for early release and/or late start for your senior year. This does sound appealing, but you need to resist the temptations of lessening your workload. Please remember that the requirements set for graduation are only the minimum! In order to be a competitive candidate for college admissions, you must have a strong high school transcript, which should include: 4 Years of English/Literature 4 Years of Social Studies/History 4 Years of College Prep Math 4 Years of College Prep Science 3-4 Years of a Foreign Language Foreign language is the class most juniors plan on dropping for their senior year. Resist the temptations to do so. Once you get into college, you will be paying individually for each class. On average, the cost of one college class is $5,058! Take advantage of the free classes you have in high school. If you have not talked to your UB advisor about registration to make sure you have signed up for the right classes, it is not too late to make changes to your schedule! Make an appointment with your counselor to talk to them if you want to change your classes. The Upward Bound staff are more than happy to come and talk to your counselor with you!

7 Senior Spotlights Lay Lu Paw- Humboldt High School So far, the UB Class of 2018 has been accepted to: So far, I have been accepted to Concordia University, St. Paul College, University of Minnesota Duluth, Metropolitan State University, Augsburg University and Century College. I am leaning more towards Augsburg University. My favorite memory with Upward Bound is spending time with the UB staff and sharing fun memories with students. I will definitely miss having the staff and students around! This summer, I am most looking forward to the internship and spending time with my Bridge class. One piece of advice I would share is to stay loyal with Upward Bound because you will realize how much support and help they will give you. Tzol Pinedo - Highland Park High School So far I have been accepted to Gustavus Aldophus College, the University of St. Thomas, St. Norbert College, St. Mary's University and Hamline University. Currently, my top choice is St. Mary s. My favorite memory of UB so far was getting to meet the staff and getting my picture taken from Nou! I am looking forward to eating all the cafeteria food during the summer program. Advice that I ve learned from UB staff that I want to share with others is to make time for scholarships! Mai Xiong - Humboldt High School I applied to many schools and have been accepted to Augsburg University, St. Catherine University, University of St. Thomas, the College of St. Benedict, St. Mary s University, Concordia University, The University of Minnesota - Duluth, The University of Minnesota Twin Cities, Gustavus Aldophus College, Macalester College, and St. Olaf College. Right now, my top choice is Augsburg University. What I will miss the most about UB is playing riddles on the bus rides between activities during the summer program. I will also miss my academic advisor, Mari, the most. She is the best and she has done so many things for me that a billion thank yous wouldn't be enough. My advice to students is to always ask for help from your advisor and to reach out for help whenever you need it. Mindy Chang- Central High School I have been accepted to St. Catherine University, Augsburg University, Concordia University and Hamline University. My favorite time in UB was when we did an activity about how we have to let some things go to be able to manage our time and be successful. It made me realize how some things, such as volleyball, can only help me for a bit and that I need to change my values as time passes. I will miss this community of great people who supported me throughout my years in high school. I m also going to miss the reminders to complete tasks to benefit me and also going to places that I have never been to before. My advice is to take this opportunity to make a change in your life by going to the field trips and activities UB plans. I believe that if you can make that sacrifice of time, you will be given so much support and experience when you go to college. I would be lost without UB, and I wouldn t have cared about school as much as I do now. My advice to you is to change your life by attending UB! ST. OLAF COLLEGE TRIO UPWARD BOUND MESSENGER Page 7

8 New Student Orientation By: Kim Hildahl Saturday, March 10th, was a big day for the Upward Bound program, as 52 newly admitted students and their parents/ guardians attended New Student Orientation, held on campus at St. Olaf College. Families met UB staff early in the morning at Central and Humboldt High Schools to take the 45-minute bus ride to St. Olaf. Once families arrived and signed in, they were treated to a light breakfast and coffee before program introductions began. Next, families were divided into groups, based on their translation needs, and learned all about what they can expect now that their student is in Upward Bound. The session covered TRIO history, background information on other TRIO programs, St. Olaf Upward Bound s evidence of achievement data, program rules and expectations, and the schedule for a typical day during the summer program. Following the parent meeting portion of the day, UB hosted graduate panel discussions featuring 11 program alumni who are currently in college or working in a career. The alumni provided engaging conversations and took questions from the audience to discuss their experiences in the program and how Upward Bound helped them prepare for college. After wrapping up the alumni panels, families and UB staff headed to lunch in the nationally renowned St. Olaf Cafeteria. The buffet was delicious and students had the opportunity to see where they will be enjoying most of their meals this summer. Once everyone was full from lunch, families were paired with tour guides to explore the St. Olaf campus. Students visited Ellingson Hall, the residence hall that UB will be housed in this summer, recreation facilities, academic buildings and science labs where they will be taking courses. To close out our long day on campus, students and their parents/guardians came back together to complete evaluations and UB held a raffle for St. Olaf apparel and school supplies. Overall, New Student Orientation was a fun and informative day and both students and parent/ guardians commented that they enjoyed having the opportunity to visit campus! UB staff would like to thank all of our translators, student workers, tour guides, and alumni who came to help us make this a successful event! 2018 Summer Program Dates 2018 Upward Bound Summer Program Tuesday, June 19 th - Bridge, SLC, and all NEW STUDENTS move in Wednesday, June 20 th - Returning Students move in (Classes of 2019 and 2020) Friday, June 22 nd - Students go home for the weekend Sunday, June 24 th - UB Week #2, Students picked up at 6:00 pm Friday, June 29 th - Students go home for the weekend Sunday, July 1 st - UB Week #3, Students picked up at 6:00 pm Tuesday, July 3 rd - Students go home at 3:00 pm for the long weekend Sunday, July 8 th - UB Week #4, Students picked up at 6:00 pm Friday, July 13 th - Students go home for the weekend Sunday, July 15 th - UB Week #5, Students picked up at 6:00 pm Tuesday, July 17 th - Variety Show Thursday, July 19 th - UB Awards Dinner* Friday, July 20 th - Students go home for the weekend Sunday, July 22 nd - UB Week #6, Students picked up at 6:00 pm Monday, July 23 rd - End of Summer Program Event Tuesday, July 24 th - Last Day of UB Summer Program Thursday, July 26 th Friday, July 27 th - College Overnight Trip The 2018 Upward Bound summer program is quickly approaching. Pull out your calendar and copy these dates down as students are expected to attend UB the entire summer! ST. OLAF COLLEGE TRIO UPWARD BOUND MESSENGER Page 8

9 Upward Bound Calendar April 2018 Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday ST. PAUL PUBLIC SCHOOLS SPRNG BREAK NO TUTORING - UB STAFF ATTEND THE MN TRIO PROFESSIONAL CONFERENCE IN DULUTH, MN Central & Humboldt: Bridge Day and Optional Central, Creative Arts, & Highland: Optional & Bridge Day Highland: Optional, Humboldt & OWL: Mandatory Central: Mandatory, Highland: Optional Central & Humboldt: Bridge Day and Optional Central, Creative Arts, & Highland: Optional & Bridge Day NEW STUDENT ORIENTATION MAKE- UP SESSION Highland: Optional, Humboldt & OWL: Mandatory Central: Mandatory, Highland: Optional SPRING MENTOR EVENT 30 May Central & Humboldt: Bridge Day and Optional Central, Creative Arts, & Highland: Optional & Bridge Day Highland: Optional, Humboldt & OWL: Mandatory Central: Mandatory, Highland: Optional Student Article: What I am Looking Forward to This Summer By: Gkao Xiong I am excited for everything that we are going to do there this year, especially since I will be in the Post-Secondary Explorations (PSE) class. Being in PSE, I will be able to start exploring all my college options and visit different campuses this summer. I will also get to start working on my college essay and resume to help prepare me for senior year. The Upward Bound summer program itself is already a wonderful thing, but if I were to answer the question of what I am most excited for, I would not say that it is the ice skating event, the college overnight, Grand Slam, or even going Valleyfair. I am most excited for the long bus rides back from the evening activities. The bus rides are the best parts of the summer program for me, with the music playing loudly, the darkness enveloping the bus, and the stars lighting it up through the night; it creates a calm and nurturing environment that makes me feel safe and comforted. Not only are you able to sleep with music blasting, but you are also able to sing throughout the bus ride with your friends by your side. I mean, not even the smell of goat/horse/cow outside (we don t know exactly where it comes from) can ruin it! Gkao Xiong is a junior at Central High School and serves on the Upward Bound Student Leadership Council. ST. OLAF COLLEGE TRIO UPWARD BOUND MESSENGER Page 9