Upward Bound Research Paper

Outreach continued to be a major part of my life during my undergraduate years. As a freshman, I joined the RPI Zeta Eta chapter of Alpha Gamma Delta Women’s Fraternity. Being a part of Alpha Gamma Delta gave me the opportunity to serve the community and raise money for our philanthropy, which supports diabetes education and awareness. Throughout the school year, we participate in several philanthropy and outreach events including Volunteering at the Boys and Girls club. During this event we set up some fun interactive activities with the purpose of educating the children about diabetes. In addition to joining Alpha Gamma Delta, I also began to set up study groups with several of my friends because I was grasping my course material quicker than many. Prior to our quizzes and exams, a small group of us would meet in a study room and I would go over practice problems on a whiteboard. Not only did this help me better prepare for quizzes and exams, but it was rewarding see my peers succeed. I decided to serve as a tutor in several of my

Over the past two years (2014-2016) I have participated in the National Junior Honors Society. As a member, I commit to completing community service and to learning among my peers in order to develop into a superior leader. I have taken part in activities such as fundraisers, team building activities, and several forms of community services such as working in a soup kitchen, daycares and organizing social events. Recently, I volunteered for a week as a vendor at a temple in Tacoma, raising money for the establishment during the Cambodian New Year festival.

In the course of my time at Union County College, I was able to participate in measures that aided my community and those in need. I took part in the donation and creation of care bags which were donated to the Salvation Army. This initiative was made by AESNJ as part of their statewide drive to help those who lack the resources needed to obtain day to day necessities such as hygienic supplies, socks, tissues and other essentials. Additionally, I made a financial contribution which went towards aiding Syrian children. Helping individuals in need encouraged me to participate in Strides against Breast Cancer a walkathon which generated money for women whose lives were impacted by cancer. The financial donations assisted women who were unable

During my weekends when I was not playing in baseball I would be volunteering at Waldron Wings which was a Domestic Violence shelter housing women and children who left their broken home. I volunteer at this facility up into its closing at the beginning of my sophomore year. Often times amidst the week I would tutor kids at my own conviction at the Haughville Library just because I would see them struggling and it only made me yearn to liberate their ignorance. Which leads to another one of my ventures which is Toys for Tots which I participated in faithfully in eighth and ninth grade. A group of peers and I would go “Christmas Shopping” and supply kids who were not fortunate enough to receive gifts with toys and games they could only dream of having. I am a high-honor roll student which is evident from me receiving this letter. On top of that, I always dreamed of leaving a mark on my high school career one days and this is one of the many ways attain this goal and impact my

I did not get to where I am today alone; I had mentors and teachers who believed and invested in me. I had Upward Bound as a college preparatory program to assist me in attending college as a first generation student. I had generous friends who provided me transportation and meals in high school: things that my parents could not provide all the time because of our circumstances. A

While I have been blessed with many opportunities that helped me grow by pushing me to new limits, my volunteer work at South McKeel Academy through National Honor Society is my most memorable. The way I was brought upon this experience was not with the average vote. One morning I showed up to the 7 A.M. meeting ready to hear about how all

For my twelve service hours, I decided to dedicate my time to one organization. That organization is known as College Mentors for Kids. College Mentors for Kids is a program specifically designed for elementary and college aged students. It is a nonprofit organization that works with over 2,000 students and mentors one day a week on a college campus. This program can be found throughout nine states and on 33 different college campuses. I am fortunate enough to be attending Ball State University, which is home to the largest chapter in the country for the program. The program’s main focus is to acknowledge the importance of higher education and career growth as you get older. There are a variety of ways the members of this organization accomplish

Even though I studied harder than I ever had before, I still did not reach the grade I thought I deserved. He told me it was because the student who shared a desk with me earned a C and it was partially my fault. This lesson taught me that life is not just about reaching personal success but helping others reach theirs too. My schools CFX’s (Companion’s of Francis Xavier) were another way I have lived out service, spirit, and intellect. During summer vacations after my sophomore and junior year, I would spend hours in the sun hammering nails or digging the foundation where a new home would be built. At the end of every grueling day, we would discuss the reasons why this certain group of people were impoverished and the systematic ways that we could fix it. These trips helped me grow as a person and realize my place in today’s society. It also made me look at larger issues in our world such as homelessness and the border issues - I worked in solidarity building homes with people that were impacted by these matters. One of my greatest moments of service and spirit came on my senior year trip. It was Easter Mass and my group was in the

The Learning Beyond the Classroom event I attended was called Community Plunge. When I attended this event we were all put into small groups to volunteer around the Ypsilanti Community. The group I was put into went to Fuller Park to volunteer at a community pool, at an organization called Give 365. At the community pool my group and I helped the organization close down their pool for the summer. We did things such as; move chairs, picnic tables, trash cans, and take down their large signs. This was a lot of work and I was glad we could help this amazing organization take less time focusing on clean up so they could focus more on working in the community. In this essay I will explain what I learned during this event, how it relates to

During the program I expected to learn about how to do well in college. I expected this certain outcome by what others have received from the program. I also assumed I was going to be able to earn college credit by taking the summer courses in Biology or Chemistry. My past experiences in summer programs had a huge impact on my way of thinking on the outcome of this program. My prior experiences included me participating in Upward Bound at Wallace Community College during my high school career. While participating as a member of Upward Bound I had many encounters with how to go about doing college work. The instructors gave us college-related work and took us on many trips to different colleges around Alabama, Florida, Georgia, and even Arkansas. The opportunities Upward Bound gave me are endless and prepared me to further my education. In fact, how I first found out about the Rural Minority Health Scholars Program is by one of my Upward Bound instructors along with my high school counselors. As I started the RMHS program I focused on many career options, however; now since I have weighed out my options my decision is final. I want to become a Pediatric Nurse and then

I’ve stayed home innumerable nights this year working hard from the bus stop to the time I go to bed because I strive to go the extra mile. I have twelve years of school ahead of me, and I am not afraid of the hurdles it will bring because I know how to work hard for the long haul. I will apply this strength in the university as well. With the same skill, I’ve pushed through the adversities in altruism, the primal reason as to why I deserve this scholarship. As an altruist, I have put hundreds of hours of community service into the City of Howell, impacting the lives of children and adults each day. As an award-winning Vice President of a volunteer board for teenagers, we plan and carry out events to get students off the streets and into our welcoming teen center in downtown Howell. At times, our teen center faced closure and disapproval from government officials, but I pulled my board’s representatives over each hurdle and into our new building. I plan on continuing my charitable efforts around the globe, and I would like to make that mark on the world with this

My freshmen year at Loyola, during spring break I went to East St Louis, Illinois for an Alternate Break Immersion trip. The key focus of this trip is the immersion aspect, this was not just a service trip, and it focused on building community and solidarity. While in East St Louis, I worked at Catholic Day Care, which is a predominantly black catholic day care that is centered on the low income housing of East St. Louis. I was tasked with aiding the preschool teachers and helping the kids learn how to use the computer and play educational computer games. In the afternoons, I went to the local community center and helped with the afterschool program. This included helping them with their homework or even just playing board games with them, building community. This school year I am a STARS, Students Together Reaching for Success, mentor. The STARS mentorship program is for students of color and first generational college students, specifically serving freshman. I have four mentees who I mentor throughout the school year, working on anything from academics to identity development. I am a resource that they can utilize off and on campus. STARS mentors also compile different committees and facilitate monthly gatherings for all 63 mentees. These usually center on different social justice initiatives, development of the person. I worked on the retreat committee where we facilitated a retreat for 50 STARS mentees and mentors, as well as working on a gathering that focused on professional development in future planning and

I am a girl who grew up with low income. Along with that my parents are both deaf alone with my big sister I watch after who has down syndrome. My father is no longer in my life so it’s my responsibility to take care of them. This isn’t a sob story about how awful my life sounds but how much I embrace it. Without my responsibilities I would have never grown to handle so many things I have accomplished. I was able to take college courses at Normandale Community College for free through Post Secondary Education Option (PSEO). I will also become my sister’s legal guardian this early summer. I work two jobs and try really hard to make sure I’m doing well in my classes along with making sure my family is okay. Why I am saying all this is because I feel like I

I was born in November 2000 in Mena, Arkansas, the first child and only daughter of Tommy and Sonya Kyle. I was a fast learner right from the get-go; I began speaking and walking before I was a year old. I was also very curious, and I was constantly asking questions. I spent the days of my childhood at my grandparent’s house, watching PBS TV shows and playing with puzzles and legos, while my parents were at work. When I was three years old my brother Braxton was born, and he joined our grandparents and I during our days.

Upward Bound to me is not just a program; over the past four years it has become my family. The aid that my Upward Bound family has supplied me has helped more than I can express. I have succeeded in so many things academically, socially, and personally because of the resources Upward Bound has bestowed upon me. I will have sturdy platform entering into college because of help from my mentors because of this program.