December 2014
A Periodic Publication of the University of Wisconsin –Stevens Point
Upward Bound Program
715-346-3337 www.uwsp.edu/upbound
Quotable Quote:
“One kind word can warm three winter months.” Japanese Proverb
Inside This Issue
Director’s
Update
2
Top 10 Things
Colleges Look
For
2
Judy Says
Important
Summer Dates
College
Campus
Visits
Honor Roll
3
3
4
5
The Upward Bound Fall Workshop was held November 1 & 2,
2014 at The Grand Lodge Resort in Schofield, Wisconsin. Participants engaged in sessions that focused on college readiness skills as well as on tips and tools for college success. Featured speakers were Jody Lewis & Katlyn
Lynch.
Director’s Update
Hello Upward Bounders! I hope everyone had a great time at the Fall
Workshop. I know I did. The waterpark and catered lunch were excellent and everybody got to eat (very important!) as much as they wanted. I would like to thank my students for their excellent behavior; with no complaints were called into me concerning too much noise, running, etc.
Several persons on the hotel staff complimented me on how nice and well-behaved Upward
Bound students were. During the event, several students who had not completed their career testing were tested. Beginning in early December, Judy and I will be visiting your school to provide and explain career test results with each student. If parents desire information
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More from the
Fall Workshop
6
UW System
Update
Winter
Birthdays
7
7
Judy Says...
Season’s Greetings to you all! One of my favorite times of the year is upon us and it is not just the brisk, cool air that is taking my breath away. There has been a flurry of activity at Upward Bound this first half of the academic year and I have barely had to time to catch my breath before I’m rolling into the next item to accomplish on my to do list. In September, the Upward Bound Program welcomed Rebecca Wisniewski to its staff, in October there were school visits and college visits, in early November we had our Fall Workshop and now that it is December, new student recruitment presentations have kept me running and up down the highway. In the midst of all this, I was assisting Rebecca with completing our annual
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P A G E 2
regarding their students results please contact the Upward Bound office.
If you're wondering what I've been up to, it has basically been two things. Number One, I tried to deer hunt and Number
Two, blowing snow from my driveway. First deer hunting… I and my hunting buddy began our journey November 13 in
Michigan. Typically we drive our vehicles to Camp. However due to the most snowfall in 40 years we unloaded all of our gear onto an ATV and made many trips. Oh! Forgot, I had to walk two miles in the 14 inches to retrieve the ATV. This is when there was light snow on the ground. In one and a half days we had to change over to a snowmobile; 13+ inches during this time. Also, since our blinds caved in daily from snow weight, we gave up! However I and Thom ate very well during the 6-day period and had fun! Second, snow… In Stevens Point all of the snow had melted and I'm looking out the window thinking, not much to do for snow blowing, yeah! Next morning I wake up and there is 6+ inches on the ground and the 30 mile-an-hour wind. Time to blow! Don't get me wrong, I do like winter; it’s just those things such as blowing the snow, shoveling the snow, doing it all over again 50+ times and of course our friendly County snowplow at the end of the driveway!
What's in the works? Well on December 2 and December 4 Upward Bound has Parent Participant Workshops scheduled in
Stevens Point and Minocqua, respectively. It is very important that one or both of your parents attend a session. The major focus of these events will be Journey to College, developments at UWSP Upward Bound and Journey through Financial
Aid. Please remember it is just as important for your parents to assist you in gaining knowledge concerning college entrance success as it is for you as an Upward Bounder to prepare for college academically. The 2014-2015 recruitment period has begun. Upward Bound will only need to obtain 25 new students to satisfy its numbers for the year. Last year approximately
35 new students were accepted. The need is great, however, only limited funds are available from the federal government to assist all eligible students who seek admission.
Judy and I are beginning the early stages of planning the 2015 Summer Component. Once again, our residence hall will be
Hyer. I am attempting to have enough space for 62 students this summer versus the 60 we had last year. Also "keep your fingers crossed" summer session will be three days longer! And I promise we will be going camping for three nights and four days. Students, I urge you to keep your grades up and take hard classes to prepare yourself for college.
Think Upward Bound.
Sincerely,
Top 10 Things Colleges Look for in
High School Students that Apply
1. Challenging high school courses were successfully completed, including Honors or Advanced
Placement courses.
2. Grades that show an upward trend over the student’s high school career.
3. Good ACT test score.
4. The student should have a deep involvement in a few activities that demonstrate leadership and initiative.
5. Community Service experience that demonstrates characteristics of a contributor.
6. Work or other out-of-school experiences .
7. A well-written application essay that provides insight into the student’s personality.
8. Letters of Recommendation from Upward Bound staff, teachers, and guidance counselors.
9. Supplementary recommendations from adults who have had significant contact with the student, such as coaches, volunteer coordinators, supervisors, etc.
10. Anything special that makes the student stand out from the rest of the applicants, including honors , awards , and special talents .

...
P A G E 3 performance report to the U.S. Department of Education. If you think compiling data and writing reports ever ends, think again kids!
Since I have had no idle hands, what the devil do I wish to draw your attention to? Well, I want to make sure I st commend the majority of Upward Bound students for their academic performance during the 1 quarter of the school year.
More students than not are exceeding Upward Bound’s academic standards and while doing this does take hard work, focus and sometimes forgoing the fun things, students who are attaining a 3.0 GPA or better will be rewarded with a healthier dose of college preparedness and postsecondary school options. Speaking of college preparedness (which is what UB is all about right?); I want to remind all seniors that they should have submitted at least one application for college admission by now.
Seniors who submit their college applications prior to the holidays will not only get to enjoy a more relaxing and stress-free break, they will be first in line for securing housing and getting first dibs at scholarship information colleges may be offering to students. As a gentle reminder, scratch that, a firm and in-your-face reminder, the UW System online application can be accessed at apply.wisconsin.edu. I will also be sending all seniors financial aid information later this month because FAFSA season will run from early January through the middle of March. The college admission and financial aid process is not difficult, it just takes some time and patience on the students’ part to complete. If you do not want to be overwhelmed with the whole shebang at once, seniors, get your college applications submitted NOW. If you are a junior, be on the lookout in mid-
February for Upward Bound to mail you information on registering for the ACT along with a fee waiver form to take this important test required for future college admission. All current Upward Bound students in grades 9, 10 and 11 should also be watching their mailboxes for their annual “renewal forms” to arrive in late January/early February. Students who wish to continue their participation for the 2015 summer session and next school year are required to submit updated health information and a new Student Contract amongst other forms Upward Bound needs to have on file.
As soon as you finish brushing the crumbs off your lap from all your Christmas cookie eating (maybe that’s just me), it will seem as if spring is here! We will all love spring because that means another set of college visits and a workshop for
Upward Bound students will take place. In the months between, I encourage Upward Bounders to set their priorities on keeping their grades up, attending school visits with the Upward Bound staff, and completing their program paperwork in a timely fashion. The Upward Bound staff will focus its winter school visits on helping students select the appropriate courses to take next year and assisting seniors in finalizing college plans and assisting them in completing their Free Application for Federal
Student Aid (FAFSA). As the “Chosen Ones”, UWSP Upward Bounders are expected to choose to be conscientious, studious, and hard-working participants and to utilize program resources wisely. If you are struggling academically, devote more time to your studies and seek help. If you are thriving in school, seek out challenges and engage in leadership opportunities. While you aim high and strive to meet your goals, be mindful that it is not always easy, it is not always fun, but YOU are in charge of your academic success and YOU must put faith in your abilities. “One of the most important keys to success is having the discipline to do what you know you should do, even when you don’t feel like doing it.” - Unknown. I could not have said it better myself. Have a joyous holiday season!
...So Mark Your
Calendars with These
Important Dates:
June 14-15: Summer Staff Orientation
June 16: Students Arrive
June 17: Classes Begin
June 19-21: First Weekend Fieldtrip
June 25-28: 3-Night Camping Trip
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July 3-5: Holiday Break
July 11: Fundraising Saturday
July 22: Last Day of Classes
July 22: Awards Banquet
July 23: Final Fieldtrip Departs

P A G E 4
UW-Superior • College of St. Scholastica • UM-Duluth
Upward Bound Students participated in college visits in northern Wisconsin and Minnesota on October 22-24. In addition to taking tours of the campuses, students met with representatives of each institution who provided information on admission standards, course offerings, financial aid admission policies, and unique things each school has to offer.

P A G E 5
Congratulations to the following students for their academic achievements during the First Quarter! Keep up the great work!
4.00
3.60 - 3.99
Ryan Condon
McKenzie Ebert
Michaela Galganski
Miguel Gonzalez
Shelby Keller
Koa Ah Khang
Mai Chong Lee
Mai Xe Lee
Olivia Lee
Sheng Lor
Magdalena Rocha
Amanda Rusch
Breana Stillman
Kao Lee Thao
Yer Thao
Chai Vang
Doua Xiong
Alena Yang
Chao Yang
Mai Zoua Yang
3.00 - 3.59
Kaitlin Bianga
Payton Calix
Zachery Carlson
Lisa-Coryse Driver
Collin Gardner
Reyna Gonzalez
Marilyn Graveen
Kayla Greguire
Natalie Henriksen
McKenzie Hilmer
Cierra Hurlbert
Ethan Intrepidi
Samuel Johnson
Adam Kong
Rebecca Lawrence
Xiong Lee
Alexander Martin
Trent Mayo
Caleb McDonald
Phoua Moua
Zoe Olsen
Gabrielle Rehm
Dylan Schmidt
Amanda Sergent
Orion Spaulding
Andy Thao
Bruce Thao
Kong Thao
Pa Chee Thao
Daniel Thums
Pachia Vang
Cody Walters
Arianna Welch
Eric Xiong
Athicha Yang
Chang Yang
Chia Neng Yang
Khou Yang
Pa Nhia Yang
Pa Zao Yang
Sydney Zier
Morgan Zywicki

P A G E 6
Enjoying Free Time

UW-Green Bay and UW-Oshkosh have collaborated to offer 3 new degree programs: Electrical Engineering Technology, Environmental
Engineering Technology and Mechanical Engineering Technology.
P A G E 7
UW-Parkside in Kenosha has started majors in Elementary Education (also known as
Early-Mid Childhood Education) and Marketing.
UW-Madison is adding a major in Physical Education in spring 2015, but has suspended admissions for their Languages and Cultures of Asia major.
New Course Options Program to offer
FREE College Courses to Students
Course Options, enacted as part of Wisconsin’s 2013 -2015 budget, provides the opportunity for high school students to enroll in courses at postsecondary institutions at no cost to the student. Students who take a UW System course offered at their high school as dual enrollment will be able to do so free of charge. The UW System will be covering the cost of tuition for the Course Options participants who are enrolled in high schools with pre-existing dual enrollment programs that offer both high school and UW course credit. For more information about Course Options, please see: www.courseoptions.dpi.wi.gov/.
Late December
28 Kayla Greguire
29 Gabrielle Rehm
1
2
5
February
Kao Lee Thao
Khou Yang
6
8
Arianna Welch
Jacob Kramer
15 Alex Martin
19 Blaxton Bucklew
Damion & Gage Buchanan
20 Zoe Olsen
25 Angel Brzezinski
28 Caleb McDonald
Best wishes for a great day!
January
2
3
4
6
Sheree Chidester
Auston White
Bruce Thao
Reyna Gonzalez
10 Kao Ah Khang
11 Robert Burgess
13 McKenzie Ebert &
Pachia Vang
16 Breana Stillman
18 Adam Kong
21 Judy Young
24 Rebecca Lawrence
27 John Jordan
28 Sheng Lor
30 Shelby Keller