UPWARD BOUND

Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College July 2015

New York, New York! “Our students give up six weeks of their summer to invest in them- For the first time in the history of Northeast- selves; personally and academi- ern Oklahoma A&M's Upward Bound pro- cally for their upcoming school gram, ten students and two sponsors were year. Students are placed in flown to New York City for a cultural trip July classes for the summer based on 8 through July 11. their Fall school schedule in order to provide them with a jumpstart The students selected to attend this exciting in those courses. We also focus cultural trip were composed mainly of recent on ACT preparation in all of our high school graduates from Fairland, Miami, core subjects. We want them to and Wyandotte. Only one of the ten students do well in High School, but we attending the trip had ever flown on an air- also want them to be able to get plane, so exposing them to this new experi- to college and not have to take ence was cultural in itself. remedial classes. We want them to be college level ready. “Nine of the ten students had never flown on an airplane, which was ex- After five weeks of intense aca- citing to experience with them. Many were excited yet nervous of the un- demics, it is fun to see our stu- known prior to boarding the flight, but once they landed you could tell dents enjoying the cultural trips. that they were pleased with their first flight as they grinned from ear to The students are selected to at- ear," said Elsie Grover, director of Upward Bound. tend the cultural trips based on their academic achievements in After landing in La Guardia Airport, the students boarded a subway into school and during our summer Manhattan arriving in the historical Grand Central Station. While in Man- academy. It is an honor and privi- hattan, the students were able to visit and see many famous landmarks lege to be selected for the cultural such as the financial district, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, World Trade Center trips. This years trips were amaz- Memorial, Statue of Liberty, Central Park, NYU, Coney Island, Times ing” Square, and many more. -Mitchell Hubbard, Academic Coordi- While in New York, the Upward Bound group was able to attend the his- nator torical USA women’s soccer ticker tape parade, allowing them to be a part of history as this was the first ticker tape parade for a women’s team. In This Issue

The students were also able to tour the Observatory in the One World  Cultural Trips

Trade Center, allowing the students to view 360 degrees of panoramic  Summer Academy views.  Student Surprises “The trip was absolutely amazing! We did so much in so little time, it makes it hard to choose my favorite part, but I would have to say Coney Island was proba-  Goodbye to Seniors bly the best part." Upward Bound graduate Sarah Ware  What's In Store for “This was a trip of a lifetime. I would like to thank Upward Bound for the many Next Year amazing opportunities.” Upward Bound graduate Josh Hoch Upward Bound Summer Academy 15’ Was the Magic of Leadership St. Louis Cultural Trip

The UB Staff worked diligently to create another fun and The underclassmen of Upward memorable summer academy for the Upward Bound students. Bound, were able to enjoy a fun This year’s theme was chosen by Brittany Crowe, second year and exciting cultural trip to St. RA, as “The Magic of Leadership,” in conjunction with a Harry Louis this summer. Many stu- Potter theme. The summer kicked off with the “Sorting Hat” dents and staff were surprised at how many great things that St. ceremony, where all students found out which house they be- Louis had to offer. longed to during the summer. The students were divided among the following six houses: Basilisk, Dragon, Fluffy, Hip- Since Missouri is known as a pogriff, Phoenix, and Thestral, in which they competed in vari- cave state, we decided to tour the ous evening activities for bragging rights among other privileg- largest commercial cave in the state, Meramic Caverns. The stu- es. With great leadership and team work, the Hippogriff team dents were impressed with the ultimately won the Upward Bound Summer Academy Champi- beautiful caverns and its rich his- onship. Ivy Henson under the Sorting Hat tory. Sooner after the tour of the cavern, our students nervously Sunday Speakers enjoyed their trip up the St. Louis Archway. Once they reached the With the Magic of Leadership being the summer theme, along with focusing on top, many devoured the endless The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens, by Sean Covey, the staff decided to have views from above while others various leaders provide our students with master classes on leadership. The UB were in line for a quick return to Staff contacted various leaders in various capacities to speak with the UB Stu- land. Nonetheless, the staff was impressed with many students dents every Sunday evening. Luckily all of our guest speakers graciously accept- who faced their fears of heights ed our invitation. Some of our speakers included Dr. Pollard, President of John and made their trip to the top of Brown University; Dr. Hale, President of NEO A & M College: David Frazier, Pas- the arch. tor of Friends Church; Chief John Froman, Chief of Peoria Tribe; Jordan Cash, President While in St. Louis, the students of Integris Hospital; Marcel Walthers, Presi- enjoyed there visit to the beautiful (and free) St. Louis Zoo. Many dent of Security Bank; Ben Loring, State Rep- students were excited to see ani- resentative; Chuck & Ann Neal, CEO and mals that they had never seen owners of Chas A Neal Company; Alisen An- before such as the polar bear, derson, Ag instructor at NEO; Eric Iverson, penguins, and sea lions. The stu- Dr. Jeff Hale, President of NEO A & M College NEO softball/volleyball coach. Speaks to UB students about leadership dents toured Washington Univer- sity, one of the nicest campuses Polyjuice Tuesdays our students had ever seen.

Each Tuesday we had a dress up day. The students did an amazing job participating in The students also enjoyed their the themed dress up days. We had dress for success day, crazy hair day, mismatched visit to the interactive Science day, group twin day, and red white and blue day. Center and watched an Imax mov- ie on saving the Humpback Whales. Perhaps the highlight of the trip was the final stop to the City Museum. The City Museum is composed largely of refur- bished architectural and industri- al objects and converted into an interactive fun house with caves, tunnels, slides, ladders, a Ferris Wheel and so much more. The student enjoyed staying at the Union Station Hotel, a refurbished historical train station. Students enjoyed the 3D projected light show in their grand lobby. UPWARD BOUND CELEBRATES 50TH ANNIVERSARY

The Upward Bound (UB) staff at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College (NEO) prepared a cel- ebration in honor of the program’s 50th anniver- sary. The celebration was held Tuesday, June 9 at 7 p.m. in NEOs Fine Arts Auditorium. UB programs from Crowder College, Independence Community College and Missouri Southern State University were in attendance.

The UB program emerged out of the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964 in response to the administration’s War on Poverty. In 1965, Talent Search, the second outreach program, was created as part of the Higher Education Act. In 1968, Student Support Services, which was originally known as Special Services for Disadvantaged Stu- dents, was authorized by the Higher Education Amendments and be- came the third in a series of educational opportunity programs. By the late 1960’s, the term “TRIO” was coined to describe these federal programs, according to the organization’s website.

The UB program began at NEO in 1999.

“We were extremely honored and excited to have a national TRiO achiever, Senator Pittman, inspire and motivate our students to aim Photo Booth at Dance Provided by Presidential Partners high with their educational careers. We enjoyed hosting the other UB programs on our campus to help celebrate 50 great years of Upward Bound on a national level. This program has been life-changing in a positive way for many perhaps the most famous being Oprah Win- frey. Many students grow through our program academically, per- sonally, and culturally which is inspiring to witness,” said Director of Upward Bound, Elsie Grover.

Senator Anastasia Pittman served as the keynote speaker for the evening. Pittman is from Miami, Florida. She earned her bachelor’s degree in journalism and public relations in 1999 from the University of Oklahoma and a master’s degree in education and behavioral sci- ence from Langston University in 2002. She was first elected to the Oklahoma House of Representatives in 2006. In 2013, Pittman was selected to lead the Legislative Black Caucus of the Oklahoma Legis- lature. The evening kicked off with team building activities followed by din- ner and a group aerial photo. The anniversary ceremony began at 7 p.m. with a welcome by NEO President Dr. Jeff Hale followed by remarks from UB achievers from each school and Pittman’s keynote address. The event was followed by a reception and dance in the Fine Arts Auditorium. “ Many of my career opportunities came because someone believed in me.” - Senator Anastasia Pittman “I loved the summer super Summer Highlights much, I met many new people Ryan Orcutt provides fun Team Building Activities and bonded even closer to people my second sum- Evenings were always filled with high energy team building activities that were put on by our mer...the staff was always Activities Coordinator, Ryan Orcutt. The students love his contagious positive attitude and fun there to help anyone if they energy that he brings to each activity, while highlighting their leadership skills. Orcutt gets students excited about participating in activities outside of their comfort zone allowing them to needed it and were fun to have have new learning experiences. Some of the Activities included Minute to Win it Monday’s, around, they make it memora- Paint War, ice breakers, Teambuilding, Science Experiments, and a Water fun Night. ble”

- Wyandotte Senior, Macie King

UB Students Tour University of Arkansas

Student Performances This summer our students were excited about touring the University Our students have many hidden talents and they are sometimes highlighted and brought to of Arkansas in Fayetteville, AR. the forth front through the Upward Bound electives, such as art, theatre, Zumba, dance, and Luckily, they were not disappointed choir. This summer many of these classes were able to perform in front of their peers and with the extremely informative cam- parents, many enjoying the spotlight for the first time. Our Zumba class put on a mashup show pus tour and information session. of all their dances they had learned with different songs. They also put on a Zumba battle After touring U of A , many stu- show outside the cafeteria one day that was really entertaining. The Choir class did an out- dents are now thinking about at- standing job singing one of the mashup songs from the movie, Pitch Perfect. Our drama clas- tending after high school. ses put on two separate thirty minute performances that were really funny. Our dance class was able to perform at the end of summer awards ceremony and really showed off their new After the campus tour, our students found moves. And the art class was able to display their art work they had worked so hard on were able to visit the beautiful all summer. The students did a great job getting outside of their comfort zones and providing Crystal Bridges Museum of Ameri- the program with so many great performances. can Art. They were able to enjoy the many art exhibits and even ex- David Garcia Motivates NEO and Crowder College’s UB Students plore their outside trails. Many of the students enjoyed the modern Crowder College’s Upward Bound Program art exhibits along with the statues invited NEO’s UB program to listen to an amaz- located throughout the museum. ing motivational speaker named David Garcia. The students en- Garcia was also a first generation and low in- joyed staying at a come college student, who worked hard to hotel the night be- overcome many obstacles in order to graduate fore in Rogers, AR from college. The NEO UB students were along with their brief grateful for the opportunity to listen to such an visit to Pinnacle inspiring speaker. Hills Promenade. Grover’s Financial Literacy was a BIG Hit

Every summer the rising Seniors take Elsie Grover’s Financial Literacy Class as an elective during the summer. Perhaps most students are ap- prehensive at first but that quickly changes as they realize how relevant the information is to their lives. The students are able to learn about vari- ous financial aspects through the multiple guest speakers and experts in their fields such as: David Fisher, Financial Aid Director; Alex Acupan, Financial Advisor for Edward Jones; Justin Addis, Loan Officers at Na- tional Bank; Pat Creech, Bus. Dept. Chair for NEO; Ava Doyle, Ok Money Matter Specialist for the OK Board of Regents of Higher Ed.; Marcel Wal- thers, President of Security Bank. The students are able to learn about financial aid, investing, interest rates, identity theft, banking, and much more.

In addition to having guest speakers, our students were able to tour First National Bank and see how a bank operates on a daily basis. Also the Peoria Ridge Golf Course provided our students with a free lesson with the Golf Pro, Nat Benedict. Many business deals occur on a golf course and this allows our students to experience golfing for the first time.

2015 Concurrent Enrollment Breaks Record

This summer the UB program witnessed the highest amount of concurrent enrollment during any other UB summer academy at NEO. Many students attributed their ability to take col- lege courses during the summer based on all of the ACT Prep throughout the school year. There were 14 underclassmen who took either a music appreciation, psychology, or com- puters and society course as their elective this summer. “ It was a great experience of taking a college course but still having support from UB staff if needed.”

- Wyandotte Senior, Mikayla McClendon Students Making an Impact

Every summer the Upward Bound instructors complete evaluations on all of their students regarding there academic progress. Often times, the instructors are always impressed with our students and write comments about student’s improvements and how the students were performing.

Ivy Henson (Junior, Commerce HS)

Ivy has really grown academically and personally compared to last summer. She is a natural leader and participates in everything while having a great attitude. We are so glad she is in the program and is excelling!

Naejah Opdyke (Senior, Afton HS)

Naejah really came out of her shell this summer and shined brightly. She has become quite the social butterfly allow- ing her fun spirit become highly contagious. She often stepped outside of her comfort zone by trying many new things and often liking the new experiences.

Hailey Rexwinkle (Sophomore, Fairland HS)

One of the funniest people to attend the summer academy. She is fun to have in class! Very rarely do we see stu- dents like her who have the ability of feeling extremely comfortable in her skin and stand out.

Katrina Ball (Sophomore, Wyandotte HS)

Perhaps the most growth that we witnessed this summer came from Katrina. “She has really blossomed” was the phrase we kept hearing over and over! She gained confidence as the summer progressed and you could see it in the way she carried herself.

Hunter Grubb (Junior, Wyandotte HS)

Hunter once again excelled in the summer academy and did not disappoint the students and staff with his charm and great sense of humor. He is a natural GO Getter with impeccable manners and great personality!

Kenyon Lovan (Junior, Commerce HS)

Might have been the most helpful student we had all summer. If there was ever any- thing needing to be done, the staff knew that Kenyon was the first to volunteer to help. He is an extremely kind and caring person which makes him so likable. “Fitting in is a short- term strategy, Stand- ing out pays off in the long-run”

“If you want to stand out from the crowd, give people a reason not to forget you!” - Unknown 2015 Seniors

Edgar Andres, graduate of Miami HS., attending NEO this fall

An extremely hard worker with a great personality who loves to have fun.

Estephany Cavello, graduate of Miami H.S., attending NEO this fall

An extremely nice young lady with a great work ethic who’s willingness to always help and participate is never overlooked.

Blong Cha, graduate of Wyandotte H.S., attending NEO this fall

An artistically talented yet quiet and humble young man.

Tyler Earp, graduate of Miami H.S. attending NEO this fall

A great attitude and personality that just wants to learn and soak up everything he can. He Journey’s COO is willing to help anyone out and always has an eye out for those he can just make their day better. donates to NEO UB Joshua Hoch, graduate of Wyandotte H.S., attending NEO this fall Seniors An exceptionally fun, outgoing, and natural leader. He is very diligent in his work and has a While in flight to New great work ethic

York with the Seniors, Elsie Grover, Direc- Kaytlynn Johnson, graduate of Wyandotte H.S., attending NEO this fall tor of Upward Bound was seated next to Such a loving and caring person who is always looking out for the people that need a help- Rob Taylor, COO of Journey’s and Lids. ing hand. Grover explained the UB program to Tay- lor and he was impressed so much they ex- Maycee Rhodes, graduate of Wyandotte High School, attending NEO this fall changed contact information. A caring, social, and fun loving young ladies who is very responsible and leads when she needs to. Shortly after returning to Oklahoma, Grover Morgan Turner, graduate of Miami High School, attending OU this fall received a package from Taylor for each of the students attending the trip to New One of those people you know is going to make a difference in the world. She has so much ambition and drive to get what she wants that nothing will stand in her way. York. Each student received a personalized letter of encouragement along with a Jour- Angel Torres, graduate of Wyandotte High School, attending NEO this fall ney’s backpack, notebook, pen, and a fifty An amazing hard worker who is able to balance and prioritize between playing football and dollar gift card. excelling in academics and still has time to lend a helping hand.

“Taylor had an impressive life story Sarah Ware, graduate of Fairland High School, attending OU this fall with many obstacles he had to over- A Go Getter academy as she graduated as the Valedictorian of her high school. She is goal oriented and will stop at nothing until her goal is achieved. come as a young person, yet through hard work and dedication he was able to achieve success. He is a re- markably approachable and giving man who really made an impact on our students by showing them how special they are. ”- Elsie Grover “Upward bound was an Upcoming Events 2015-16 amazing experience, not only for college but for Saturday Seminars: Senior Meetings: life. You get to travel, learn, make friends, and September 19th September 1st (Ballroom) (parent/ build relationships. I met guardian needs to attend) October 10th some awesome people October 6th (SLB Computer Lab) and gained some life-long November 7th friends” November 10th (SLB Computer Lab) December 5th -Maycee Rhodes, UB December 1st (SLB Computer Lab) January 9th January 12th (SLB Computer Lab) February 13th February 2nd (SLB Computer Lab) March 5th March 1st (SLB Computer Lab) April 2nd April 5th (SLB Computer Lab) May 3rd or 7th (summer orientation) (Parent/ Guardian Required) May 3rd (Bridge Orientation) (Parent/ Guardian Required)

This year’s Upward Bound focus will be on career research and exploration. Our goal is to help our students select a career pathway in order to help select a major and stick with it in col- lege. We hope to spark some true interests for our students and get them really thinking about all the fun and exciting careers that are out there.