✴ Henok Letic19

Upward Bound is excited to announce a new opportunity for students! Read all about it on page 2!

October 2018 Volume XXX, Issue #2 wp.stolaf.edu/upward/

TRIO Upward BoundMessengerST. OLAF COLLEGE

Bridge students received an “I Applied” bracelet for each application they submitted!

By: Nou Yang

Bridge Days I & II

Once Upward Bound students become seniors in high school, they are referred to as “Bridge” students, as they are preparing to transition from high school to college. Over the summer, each Bridge student was assigned a full-time staff member to work one-on-one with them throughout the college application process, which allows them personalized attention on essays and resumes. Once the fall semester began, seniors became busy juggling their time between school, extracurricular activities, and work, so Upward Bound provided two full days dedicated to Bridge students to perfect their college essays and resumes and work on their college applications.

While many high school students were sleeping in over their four-day MEA break, Bridge students woke up early to get started on the college application process. Students arrived to Central High School at 8:00 a.m., had breakfast and were then led through a Naviance training on requesting teacher recommendation letters and official high school transcripts. Next, students participated in a mock college admissions activity where they played the role of an admissions counselor by reviewing three mock student applications and working with their team to select two students for

admission. Through this activity, students learned about the college application review process, various ways to submit a strong college application, and the importance of connecting with their admissions counselor.

Next, each student sat with his or her respective teammates and team leader and began the process of applying to colleges. Bridge students first worked on polishing their college essays and resumes; these documents are important because they are the most personalized component of their college applications. For the most part, students spent Bridge Day I going over multiple rounds of edited drafts of their resumes and personal college essay.

Once students received approval from their advisor, they were ready to begin the process of applying to colleges. UB staff helped to review each application carefully, and many students were able to submit them! The Bridge students’ hard work and persistence over MEA break paid off! Many students are finishing up their school applications and will soon be sending in transcripts and teacher recommendation letters. Fantastic job, Bridge students! UB would also like to thank the St. Olaf tutors for coming and helping edit essays and resumes.

IN THIS ISSUE:

UB’S NEW ADVENTURE . . . . . . . . . .

SLC UPDATE . . . . . . . . . .

ACT PRACTICE TEST . . . . . . . . . . .

FAFSA NIGHTS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

ACT REFRESHER. . . . . . . . . . .

GRADUATE UPDATE . . . . . . . . . . . .

UPCOMING EVENTS . . . . . . . . . . .

UPCOMING BIRTHDAYS . . . . . . . . . .

MENTOR SPOTLIGHT . . . . .

UB CALENDAR . . . . . . . . .

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Darius Brown, Joquan Wil l iams, Amanda Zou, Kel ly Vang, and Dylan Yang worked together to review col lege appl ications in the

mock admiss ions act ivity.

Nayamo Oo, Bu Wah and Eh Blu Htoo worked hard on their essays and resumes during

Bridge Days!

By: Zookong Lee

SLC Update and Fundraising

With the addition of three new schools last year, UB added more members to the Student Leadership Council. One new member from each grade at each school was elected to represent their peers on the board, making 19 current members. With this increase, UB felt that with this year’s SLC retreat had to focus on building leadership skills and team building.

This year, UB is partnering with Outward Bound and taking SLC on a two night, three-day retreat to Lebanon Hills Retreat Center. Nou and Zookong will be staying with SLC while they engage in different games and activities, by themselves and with their peers, to learn about teamwork and leadership. This is the first time SLC has had the chance to do this type of event and we are excited for this new experience with our students.

Additionally, SLC is currently fundraising for the annual Bridge Scholarships! SLC will be selling snacks at tutoring to raise money for the scholarship. At the end of each summer, SLC will award deserving Bridge students with the scholarship so that they have extra money for books and supplies in college.

We are excited for what the new school year will bring. Keep up the hard work SLC!

If you would like to donate to the SLC scholarship, you can visit the following link (https://wp.stolaf.edu/upward/files/2012/09/SLCDonationForm.doc) to download the Bridge Scholarship donation form.

Upward Bound is excited to announce a 2018-2019 STEM opportunity for current students. The St. Olaf College UB program was recently awarded a one-time grant to support 60 students who have a special interest in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). UB will be using funds to expose students to aerospace engineering and technology through completing STEM-based curriculum, participating in an all-day workshop in partnership with All Flex Flexible Circuitry Inc., and attending a four-day trip to the NASA Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida. During our time at KSC, students will have the opportunity to complete an astronaut training and have lunch with an astronaut!

Admission to the Upward Bound STEM program is not automatic; students had to complete a rigorous application and selection process. Students who applied will be sent a letter on December 14th

letting them know if they will be joining us in Florida. We wish you all luck as this is an exciting and once in a lifetime opportunity!

Please note: the Florida trip will occur over your student’s 2019 spring break (from Tuesday, April 2 - Friday, April 5, 2019) and all expenses will be covered by the UB program (e.g., flights, meals, and hotel costs).

Upward Bound’s New AdventureBy: Mari Avaloz

ACT Practice TestBy: Thay Thao

The ACT plays an important role in the college application process and Upward Bound offers many opportunities to help UB juniors prepare for the test. On Saturday, October 13th, UB Juniors woke up early and arrived at Central High School to take UB’s ACT Practice test. Once there, they received the same rules, proctoring and expectations as the official ACT test. The ACT test consists of an English, math, reading and science section. There is also a timed writing portion where students write an essay based off a prompt from the test. Overall, UB students found the practice test helpful as they quickly realized the pace set by the ACT and the different subject areas they would be tested on.

These practice tests will help UB students create an individualized study plan prior to taking the official ACT. In addition, Upward Bound juniors were also required to sign up for the St. Paul Public Schools College and Career Testing Prep Program to help them strengthen their skills, so we know they will be prepared in February! We want to thank all of the juniors for committing their Saturday morning to take Upward Bound’s ACT practice test.

Upward Bound would l ike to commend our juniors for completing the ACT practice

test over their fal l break. Way to go!

By: Mari AvalozFAFSA Nights

Many students and families believe that a college or university gives grants, scholarships, and loans to students just for going to their college. However, this is not the case! Seniors must complete their Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) in order to receive financial aid. The FAFSA is a federally required form for students seeking financial aid to help pay for college. Having an incomplete FAFSA means colleges and universities are unable to create a students’ financial aid package. Therefore, it is important that the FAFSA is completed and submitted early in order for schools to create these packages. In most cases, financial aid packages are often the deciding factor that helps students decide which college to attend. The FAFSA can be both confusing and challenging. It is important to complete the application early and to get help when needed.

To help with the FAFSA, Upward Bound Bridge students and their parents/guardians were invited to attend one of the two FAFSA Nights that UB offered. Our FAFSA nights started off with a Bridge parent meeting, which entailed a timeline for the rest of the year, and explained more about the FAFSA, the importance of completing the FAFSA, differences between loans, scholarships, grants, and works study, and how to manage one’s finances for college. Most students were able to submit their FAFSA before leaving FAFSA Night and are now awaiting their Student Aid Report (SAR). UB will continue to help students who have yet to complete their

FAFSA and/or CSS Profile. Please see us for any questions or concerns regarding your application(s).

Thanks to all the parents/guardians for taking time to come and help your student complete their FAFSA application.

**UB seniors should have already submitted or should be working on submitting the FAFSA and CSS Profile. If there are any seniors who have not submitted or need assistance filling out the financial aid forms, please speak with a UB advisor as soon as possible. Scholarship and grant money runs out quickly, so it is extremely important to submit the FAFSA and CSS Profile as soon as possible.**

ACT Refresher for UB Seniors

The ACT is offered several times throughout the year, but for seniors, the October administration is especially important, as it is the final opportunity to raise their scores before submitting their college applications. So on Saturday, October 13th, UB seniors woke up early to brush up on their skills to prepare for the test!

Once they arrived at Central High School for the event, students were split into two groups to rotate through various workshops. Nathan Strenge, a former UB teacher and current mentor, led students through the math section. Nathan had a variety of tips and strategies to offer and also made sure to emphasize to students that all of their hard work preparing for the test will pay off! We were very grateful that he was able to come in to assist us with this workshop! Meanwhile, Zookong led students through the science section and discussed strategies to analyze the charts and graphs that are key to scoring well on the science section.

Next, students rotated through lessons covering tips and tactics on the reading, English and writing sections with Nou and Kim. Students were able to learn how to pace themselves on the English and reading sections and evaluated the scoring rubric of the writing section to determine exactly what makes a well-written ACT essay.

To finish off the day, Thay and Kim led students through the Unfair Game, a fun and competitive way to review the information they learned throughout the workshop. Students worked in teams to answer questions about the ACT, however, the point value of each question was not revealed until after the team gave the correct answer and decided if they wanted to “keep” or “pass” their

points. In some cases, point values were negative, meaning they could get the correct answer and still lose points if they did not pass the points to a different team. This led to some light-hearted team rivalry and students had a great time showing off all of their ACT knowledge!

Overall, UB students had a very successful day preparing for the ACT and everyone felt they benefitted from these sessions. Seniors took the day seriously and UB staff knows they did well on the October ACT exam!

By: Kim Hildahl

UB seniors worked together to score points in “The Unfair Game”!

ST. OLAF COLLEGE TRIO UPWARD BOUND MESSENGER Page 4

Graduate Update: Ben Xiong By: Zookong Lee

This month’s graduate update highlights class of 2017 student, Ben Xiong! After graduating from Central, Ben enrolled at St. John’s University, where he will graduate in 2021. We were excited to hear from Ben and we hope you enjoy reading about him.

Ben has been busy at St. John’s. He is currently taking a computer science, gender studies, theology and a Japanese film class and intends on majoring in Computer Science with a minor in Asian studies. I asked Ben what he thought about college so far and he said, “College is not what I thought it was going to be. I thought that college was about studying hard and having no time for anything else. In college, you have to study hard but you can also have fun as well. I believe it is all about managing time.”

When asked if he was enjoying college, Ben responded, “I am enjoying college because there are many things to do on campus. There are always events happening on campus every weekend. There is a lot of free time in college which I have to manage wisely. With the free time I have, I enjoy going out on the trails we have at Saint John’s as well as playing volleyball and basketball. Being at a college away from home has helped me be more independent. College is a process about learning more about yourself.”

Outside of classes, Ben is involved with Asia Club, Hmong American’s Involving Students (HAIS) and Fishing Club. On top of that, he also works for the Center for Global Education (CGE), which works with students who want to study abroad and exchange students who attend the College of St. Benedict/St. John’s University. When I asked Ben what his favorite memory of college has been, he replied, “My favorite college memory so far is working with exchange students who are from Japan, China, Australia, and Northern Ireland because I have learned many different things about their cultures. I also enjoy being their mentor and good friend because I want to keep close relationships with people from around the world.”

While reflecting on his time in UB, Ben had many favorite memories but his Bridge Night stood out. He felt that it was a fun activity that brought their cohort closer together and that it was a great last activity they had with UB staff.

Ben a l so s ta ted how participating in Upward Bound prepared him for college, “UB helped me prepare for college by helping me apply for college, writing essays/scholarships, and financial aid. UB summers helped me prepare for college because of the college trips we did. It allowed me to tour some colleges where I considered applying to. Having a mentor in UB helped me learn more about college from a different perspective as well.”

Finally, Ben had some advice for our current UB students, “stay on top of your homework because keeping that habit in college will help a lot. Also, trying new things and meeting new people will help you make new connections entering into college. Don’t be afraid to ask for help because there are others who are also seeking help.”

We would like to thanks Ben for updating us on his journey! UB is extremely proud of how far he’s come and excited for what is ahead.

Ben Xiong is currently attending St. John’s University, where he

is planning to major in computer sc ience.

November & December Birthdays!

✴ Ernesto Moreno - November 5

✴ Rooselan Vang - November 9

✴ Chameng Yang- November 15

✴ Saylia Moo - November 19

✴ Samrawit Alene - November 22

✴ Lay Chri Htoo - December 12

✴ Pang Yang - December 14

✴ Henok Leticho - December 19

✴ Ben Sessou - December 21

✴ Mehdia Umer - December 27

✴ Kaoyer Lee- December 31

✴ Mari Avaloz- December 31

UPCOMING EVENTS

Last Day of Tutoring for 2018 December 6, 2018 See you in 2019!

SLC Holiday Party/Mentor Event January 5, 2019

Humboldt High School All Upward Bound students must

attend.

SLC Day of Community Service January 21, 2019

Feed My Starving Children All SLC students must attend.

Study Skills Seminar January 25, 2019

Central High School All sophomores and new students must attend.

STEM Seminar January 25, 2019

Central High School All students participating in the

STEM program must attend.

Upward Bound Calendar

Mentor Spotlight: Amy XiongBy: Nou Yang

This month’s mentor spotlight is Amy Xiong! We are excited to welcome her to the UB mentoring program! Amy is a mentor for Open World Learning sophomore, Molly Yang. Amy was born and raised in Minneapolis. She comes from a family of nine and is the second youngest child.

After high school, Amy attended Augsburg University. She initially chose Augsburg because it was close to home, but soon began to love the diversity and the urban environment. The convenient location provided great opportunities for her to be involved in the community. While studying at Augsburg, Amy was actively involved in student organizations and the residence life community. She served as vice president of the Augsburg Asian Student Association, executive member of the Hmong Women Together organization, and was a mentor for the Pan Asian Student Services Program. Lastly, she was a lead residential life advisor and created a fun and safe living experience for students. Amy graduated in 2013 with a degree in elementary education and a minor in mathematics.

Amy currently teaches at Nobel Academy. She has taught fourth grade in the past but is currently teaching kindergarten. She loves working with children and witnessing

their growth! In the near future, she would like to attend graduate school to study special education or English as a Second Language. Some of her interests include DIY (Do It Yourself) projects, dancing, and learning new things.

When asked why she decided to mentor for UB, she shared, “I love to advocate for higher education by sharing my experiences and encouragement with younger scholars, thus, I am excited to be a UB mentor.” One piece of advice she would like to share with UB students is, “if your mind can conceive it, and your heart can believe it, then you CAN achieve it! You are very capable!”

Upward Bound would like to thank Amy for mentoring and being featured on this month’s Mentor Spotlight!

UB mentor Amy Xiong is a k indergarten teacher

at Nobel Academy.

December 2018Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

3 4 5 6 7 8

NO TUTORING

Central & Highland Park: Optional Tutoring

& Bridge Day Creative Arts:

Mandatory Tutoring

Highland Park, Humboldt & OWL:

Mandatory Tutoring

Central: Mandatory Tutoring, Highland Park & Humboldt: Optional Tutoring

LAST DAY OF TUTORING FOR 2018!

10 11 12 13 14 15

STEM PROGRAM APPLICATION

DECISIONS MAILED HOME

17 18 19 20 21 22

SPPS WINTER BREAK

24 25 26 27 28 29

SPPS WINTER BREAK

31 Jan 1 2 3 4 5

SPPS WINTER BREAKHighland Park,

Humboldt & OWL: Mandatory Tutoring

Central: Mandatory Tutoring, Highland Park & Humboldt: Optional Tutoring

St. Olaf College TRIO Upward Bound is an Educational Opportunity Program sponsored by St. Olaf College and funded by the United States Department of Education. St. Olaf College TRIO Upward Bound is an equal opportunity employer and educator.

St. Olaf TRIO Upward Bound participates in the Summer Food Service Program for Children. In accordance with Federal Law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) policy, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.)

To file a complaint of discrimination, write to USDA, Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, 1400 In dependence Avenue, S.W., Stop 9410, Washington, DC 20250-9410, or call toll-free at (866) 632-9992 (English) or (800) 877-8339 (TDD) or (866) 377-8642 (English Federal-relay) or (800) 845-6136 (Spanish Federal-relay)USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

TRIO PROGRAMS/UPWARD BOUND ST. OLAF COLLEGE 1520 ST. OLAF AVENUE NORTHFIELD, MN 55057-1098

(507) 786-3708 FAX: (507) 786-3552 (800) 827-8658 WP.STOLAF.EDU/UPWARD WP.STOLAF.EDU/TRIO WWW.MNTRIO.ORG

ST. OLAF COLLEGE TRIO UPWARD BOUND MESSENGER

St. Olaf CollegeTRIO Upward

Bound Messengerest. 1989

Program Staff Mari Avaloz, Director

Kim Hildahl, Assistant Director Zookong Lee, Academic Advisor

Tendor Norbu, Academic Advisor Thay Thao, Academic Advisor Nou Yang, Academic Advisor

Newsletter Staff Kim Hildahl, Layout and Design

The St. Olaf College TRIO Upward Bound Messenger is published monthly September-May,

except for combined editions in August/September, November/December, and April/May. Editors reserve the right to add, change or delete articles for spacing and clarity. All inquiries should be addressed to Mari Avaloz, Director of St. Olaf

Upward Bound, St. Olaf College, 1520 St. Olaf Avenue, Northfield, MN 55057-1098.