Profile of Upward Bound student from Missoula

/in , /by

Season of thanks: Missoulians share what they’re thankful for this year

Braylee Crawford

Braylee Crawford looked forward to Upward Bound every summer before she enrolled at the University of Montana.

“When I heard that the program was basically on the chopping block, it really devastated me,” Crawford said.

This year, the U.S. Department of Education initially denied $1.7 million in grant funds for the Upward Bound program at UM based on a clerical error, according to the program director. UM had failed to double-space one of the application’s 65 pages, as had some other campuses.

U.S. Sens. Jon Tester, a Democrat, and Steve Daines, a Republican, were among the elected leaders who successfully advocated for Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos to reconsider applications based on the merits.

When Crawford — a freshman from Browning majoring in human biology for premed — learned the program would be funded after all, she said she was thrilled, not only for herself, a college student, but for high school students who will also have the chance to participate in Upward Bound and learn they have an opportunity to attend a university.

“I was so, so happy,” she said, “because not only would I get to continue to enjoy the benefits of TRiO, but I know students from not only my community but around the state would be able to enjoy the benefits of Upward Bound.”

— Keila Szpaller

 

Three UND McNair Scholars Presented at the 75th Annual National Plains Anthropological Conference

/in , , /by

Presenting at the Great Plains Anthropological Conference was a great experience. I presented my paper on cultural education as a tool to cope with the discrimination Two-Spirit people face. This paper meant a lot to me because most people do not know what it means to be Two-Spirit and the cultural aspects behind that. I knew that Two-Spirit people were hidden in anthropology for a long time because of prejudice even though they have always been around in various American Indian Tribes and have great importance. After I gave my paper, I was surprised by all the feedback I received. A lot of the professionals in the room were unaware of the suicide, assault, and depression statistics that impact the Two-Spirit community. My paper also won the Mary Jane and FredSchneider Student award. I am honored that I got to represent the McNair and American Indian Studies programs.  Flint Devine

 

Flint, Caitlyn and I had the opportunity to present at the Plains Anthropological Conference on October 5th.  This year the national conference was hosted in Bismarck, ND.  Being from Bismarck, it was nice to have a home-court advantage.  Unfortunately, Patrice and Dr. Hans told us they could not make it, but last minute Patrice surprised us! It was an exhilarating experience and our papers were well received.  Sashay Schettler

 

Attending the 75th Plains Anthropological Conference this year was more than rewarding. Through this experience, I was exposed to three learning opportunities: 1) attended and presented at my first conference, 2) it allowed me to make connections with other people in my field of study, Anthropology, which will be useful in future endeavors, and 3) I was able to take my first step towards what I want to do, which is enrich the learning of others regarding the American Indian paradigms. I thoroughly valued this experience, and am grateful for the opportunity I was given, as it has now given me confidence to further attend and present at conferences, but it has also solidified the fire and passion I have towards my majors, both American Indian Studies and Anthropology.  Caitlyn Shoulder

Upward Bound grant restored for University of Montana

/in , , /by

Upward Bound grant restored for University of Montana

The University of Montana will receive money to support first-generation college students and ones from low-income families through Upward Bound, after initially being denied a grant due to a clerical error, according to news releases. U.S. Sens. Jon Tester and Steve Daines announced Wednesday that the U.S.

COE Fair Share explained

/in , , /by

ASPIRE updates

/in , /by

ASPIRE_NEWS_8pm-2-17

Prep for Policy

/in , , , /by

Prep 4 Policy! Watch the latest tutorial “How to get to know your legislators” from Ally Garcia, on getting to know your representatives. #prep4policy

Westminster’s Debbie Samaniego Named College’s First-Ever Marshall Scholar – Westminster College News

/in , , /by

Westminster’s Debbie Samaniego Named College’s First-Ever Marshall Scholar – Westminster College News

Dec. 5, 2016 Honors Program student to pursue prestigious graduate study in the United Kingdom SALT LAKE CITY – Westminster senior Debbie Samaniego has received the 2017 Marshall Scholarship to pursue graduate study in the United Kingdom. This marks the first time a Westminster student has been selected for this prestigious award.

Kimberly Kost from student to mentor

/in , , /by

Kimberly Kost joined Student Support Services (SSS) TRIO at MSUB as the new Academic Coordinator last February. As a prior TRIO participant, she has come back to the program which at one point helped her to pursue her educational dreams. Now, with more experience and a great educational background, she helps students as a mentor, as a tutor, and as a coach. In the past, Kim has worked with students of diverse backgrounds in different capacities. Being a low-income and first-generation undergraduate student, she has the experience and ability of recognizing life’s obstacles that non-traditional students have to overcome in order to graduate.
Her story is full of unique events. During high school, she was the only income in her household, but she still graduated with honors. In her senior year, she got pregnant and moved out from her mom’s house. Right after graduation, she got married and a had a baby. Today, she has overcome the odds; she is happily married and has a wonderful teenager at home. She has also managed to complete different degrees.
Kim obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in English, a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics, an Associate of Arts in Secondary education and an Associate’s degree in Psychology. She is pursuing her master’s in Mathematics and Psychology. Kim is without a doubt a “junkie learner”, as she described herself, and would love to pass on her love for learning to our students. During the interview, Kim said “I want to push students to be more effective… help them learn how to overcome obstacles that they face as non-traditional students.”
Other personal characteristics of this wonderful professional involve her warm and welcoming personality. Always with a smile on her face, she is ready to help students with financial literacy questions, career path, and so forth.
As we say in TRIO, once that you get involved with our programs, your heart belongs to TRIO.

TRIO receives Talent Search and Educational Opportunity Center grants from Department of Education

/in , , /by

TRIO receives Talent Search and Educational Opportunity Center grants from Department of Education

The University of North Dakota has once again been awarded both a TRIO/Talent Search and TRIO/Educational Opportunity Center grant from the Department of Education. The goal of these programs is to ensure secondary school graduation and increase the college enrollment rate and successful degree completion among low-income, first-generation participants as they make the transition from one level of education to the next.