SUMMER PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS ON PAGE 5! August-September 2017 Volume XXIX, Issue #1 wp.stolaf.edu/upward/ TRIO Upward Bound Messenger ST. OLAF COLLEGE CHECK OUT THE SUMMER MENTOR EVENT ON PAGE 4! Upward Bound Has Expanded! By: Mari Avaloz In late May, the U.S. Congress notified 889 Upward Bound projects that they were awarded grants. The St. Olaf College Upward Bound (UB) program is excited to announce that our funding has been renewed to serve 88 students at St. Paul Humboldt and Central high schools. St. Olaf has hosted UB since 1989 and currently has one of the largest programs in the state. In addition, we are extremely excited to report that we not only received our continuation grant, but we were also awarded a brand new UB grant. This allows us to serve 60 more students annually in three St. Paul public schools: Highland Park Senior High, Open World Learning Community (OWL) and Creative Arts Secondary School. Considering the continuing threats to TRIO funding, we are extremely proud of the grant applications we submitted and are thankful to all those who aided in this endeavor. We couldn't have done it without the constant support we have received from St. Olaf, our target schools, and our community. UB students enjoyed a nice evening at the Walker Art Museum during the 2017 summer program. Aye Aye and Mai ice skated in Burnsville during an evening activity this summer. IN THIS ISSUE: UB WELCOMES TWO NEW ADVISORS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SUMMER MENTOR EVENT . . . . . . . . GRADUATE UPDATE . . . . . . . . . FALL ANNOUNCEMENTS AND REMINDERS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SUMMER 2017 HIGHLIGHTS. . . . . . . . . BRIDGE 101: AVOIDING SENIORITIS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . UPCOMING BIRTHDAYS . . . . . . . . . UB FAFSA NIGHTS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SLC UPDATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . UB EVENTS & CALENDAR . . . . . . . . MENTOR SPOTLIGHT. . . . . . . . . . . STUDENT ARTICLE: END-OF-SUMMER CAMPING TRIP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 2 page 2 page 3 ……… page 4 page 5 page 6 …… page 6 page 7 page 7 page 8 page 9 page 9 ST. OLAF UPWARD BOUND HAS RECEIVED RENEWED FUNDING! UB is now funded to serve 148 students at five St. Paul Public Schools: Central High School Creative Arts Secondary School Highland Park Senior High Humboldt High School Open World Learning Community
In late May, the U.S. Congress notified 889 Upward Bound projects that they were awarded grants. The St. Olaf College Upward Bound (UB) program is excited to announce that our funding has been renewed to serve 88 students at St. Paul Humboldt and Central high schools. St. Olaf has hosted UB since 1989 and currently has one of the largest programs in the state.
In addition, we are extremely excited to report that we not only received our continuation grant, but we were also awarded a brand new UB grant. This allows us to serve 60 more students annually in three St. Paul public schools: Highland Park Senior High, Open World Learning Community (OWL) and Creative Arts Secondary School.
Considering the continuing threats to TRIO funding, we are extremely
proud of the grant applications we submitted and are thankful to all those who aided in this endeavor. We couldn't have done it without the constant support we have received from St. Olaf, our target schools, and our community.
UB students enjoyed a nice evening at the Walker Art Museum during the 2017 summer program.
Aye Aye and Mai ice skated in Burnsville during an evening
ST. OLAF UPWARD BOUND HAS RECEIVED RENEWED FUNDING!
UB is now funded to serve 148 students at five St. Paul Public Schools:
Central High School Creative Arts Secondary School
Highland Park Senior High Humboldt High School
Open World Learning Community
St. Olaf College TRIO Upward Bound Messenger Page 2
Nou Yang
UB Welcomes Two New Academic Advisors
Upward Bound has recently added two new academic advisors to help support our growing program! Take a few minutes to get to know the newest members of the UB team!
Hi! My name is Zookong Lee and I am excited to introduce myself as one of the new Academic Advisors for the TRIO Upward Bound program! Most of you already know me and I am happy to be back with UB! For those that I haven’t had the opportunity to meet, here are some things to know about me.
I grew up in St. Paul, MN and went to Central High School, where I was a participant of the Upward Bound program. I graduated from Central in 2012 and went on to St. Olaf College. I enjoyed my time at St. Olaf College and graduated in 2016 with a Bachelor of Arts
in Economics and a concentration in race and ethnics studies.
During my time at St. Olaf, I worked in the UB office as an office assistant and helped with the UB database. I also worked in the summer as a residential staff member for three summers. I loved UB so much that I just kept coming back to work for them!
Prior to joining the St. Olaf UB team, I was an advisor for Century College’s Upward Bound program and worked with students from Johnson High School. I really enjoyed my time at Century, but once I found out that St. Olaf UB had openings, I knew I wanted to come back.
In my free time, I enjoy watching movies, playing volleyball and basketball, fishing, and camping. I am a big sports fan, and I especially love the Vikings and Timberwolves! I am very excited to have the opportunity to work with all of the students in TRIO Upward Bound!
Zookong Lee
Hello everyone! My name is Nou Yang and I am excited to introduce myself as one of the two new members of the TRIO/Upward Bound team. I will be working as an Academic Advisor at Highland Park High School and Open World Learning Community. In addition, I will be coordinating the UB Summer Bridge Program.
I was born in Thailand and grew up in West St. Paul. I graduated from Humboldt High School and I am a proud alum of UB! After high school, I attended Augsburg College and majored in sociology. I loved my UB experience so much that I returned as a residential staff member
for three summers and served as a UB mentor for five years.
After graduating from Augsburg, I served two years with College Possible as a high school coach at Johnson Senior High School. My passion for working with students in college access and in higher education then brought me to St. Catherine University, where I worked as an Admission Counselor and recruited first-year students for three years.
In my free time, I love going to the movies and Zumba! I also enjoy traveling, trying new foods, reading, and coloring. I am beyond excited about this opportunity and look forward to working closely with all the awesome students in Upward Bound!
SUMMER MENTOR EVENT By: Thay Thao
Every year, mentors and students have a few opportunities to reunite and enjoy a day of activities. This summer, our students and mentors gathered at St. Paul’s Harriet Island to enjoy a night out on the Mississippi River. Overall, we had 45 mentors and 74 students attend the boat ride, making it one of our biggest events of the year!
The evening started off with a quick run-down of the night’s agenda, followed by the Bridge reception. Our graduated seniors, known as “Bridge” students, had the chance to introduce themselves and tell the audience where they are attending college this fall. The Student Leadership Council helped distribute cake to all guests before concluding the reception part of the evening.
Afterwards, the night was opened up to a variety of activities. Some students and mentors crowded around tables for competitive board games, and many others decided to dance. Some student/mentor duos spent much of their night outside to catch up and enjoy the nice weather and view of the Mississippi River.
Overall, students, family members, mentors and UB staff enjoyed their evening out on the Mississippi River. It was a wonderful evening filled with laughter, games and dancing. Upward Bound would like to thank all of the mentors and family members for being able to make it to the Annual Summer Boat Ride.
Mentor Nathan Strenge met with his mentee, DQ Logan, at the summer mentor event.
Mentor Chielon Yang caught up with his mentee, Soua Yang, on the deck of the Anson Northrup.
St. Olaf College TRIO Upward Bound Messenger Page 3
Graduate Update: Mai Xee Vang By: Nou Yang
This month’s graduate update comes from Mai Xee Vang! Mai Xee graduated from Central High School in 2016 and is currently a sophomore at St. Olaf College. We hope you enjoy hearing about her experience! This semester, Mai Xee is taking calculus, computer science, English, and a writing and philosophy course on friendship, love, and the good life (sounds like a fun class)! She really enjoys computer science and has chosen computer science as her intended major. A typical day for Mai Xee includes breakfast in the morning and then she attends class and lectures. After getting out of class, she heads straight to her work-study job in the IT department. After work, she usually grabs dinner or attends club meetings, depending on the day. When she gets back to her residence hall, she studies and hangs out with her roommate. Aside from academics and work, Mai Xee is a very busy student leader. She is a board member of the Hmong Cultural Outreach (HCO) organization. Their mission is to educate the St. Olaf community about Hmong people and their culture. They accomplish this by holding events and hosting dialogues and activities on-campus. One of their biggest events is the Hmong New Year. This event is a collaboration between HCO and the Coalition of Hmong Students (CHS), a student-led organization from their neighboring school, Carleton College. In addition, Mai Xee is on the executive team for the St. Olaf Minority Association of Pre-Medical Students (STOMAPS). They focus on health care disparities among minority communities and participate in volunteering projects. STOMAPS is also a
resource group for students who are interested in pre-med. Lastly, she is a m e m b e r o f t h e Stitches for Peace club, a volunteer-based organization that crochet and knit. They sell and donate their products directly to benefit local organizations. When I asked Mai Xee if she is enjoying c o l l e g e , s h e responded, “Besides t h e a m a z i n g food, college has been a great experience so far. I enjoy sitting in the Cage (the on-campus coffee shop) on a rainy day doing my work. When it is nice and sunny outside I love to explore the trails here on campus with friends”. Her favorite memory of college so far was her club retreat during spring break. I asked Mai Xee if college was what she expected and she shared, “When I was a high school senior I could not wait to graduate and go to college. I was a student who wanted to come to college for independence. I literally took advantage of my new independence and a few weeks later found out that I would not be able to survive if I did not ask for help, both academically and mentally. I am trying to say that although college is a great time for self-discovery, don’t let that or the word “adult” deter you from seeking help. If you need that extra push go for it.” Looking back on her UB memories, Mai Xee shared that she enjoyed going to Duluth and the second week of her first summer with UB. When I asked her how UB helped prepare her for college, she responded, “One of the lessons I got from my four years in Upward Bound was that there are people who care. Mari, Kim, Thay, and Kia are always listening and observing. They know their resources and they never failed in my time there to help me when I needed it the most. There are no doubts these are professional beings. Another person who helped me prepare for college was my mentor. Her monthly letters of her adventurous experiences in college motivated me to do my very best in high school. Her advice was always so genuine and she was caring as well. She definitely boosted my confidence to attend a college outside of the Twin Cities.” Before leaving, Mai Xee would like to share the following advice for current UB students: “Be yourself, offer good vibes, and study hard.” We would like to thank Mai Xee for taking time to share her college experience with us. We wish her all the best this school year!
Remember to save those stamped envelopes!
St. Olaf College
T RIO Upward Bound
1520 St. Olaf
Ave.
Northfield,
MN 55057
St. Olaf College
T RIO Upward Bound
1520 St. Olaf Ave.
Northfield, MN 55057
St. Olaf College T RIO Upward Bound 1520 St. Olaf Ave. Northfield, MN 55057
You can get your name entered in a drawing when you turn in unused self-addressed stamped envelopes you receive from Upward Bound with forms and permission slips. Bring envelopes to your advisor and you will have a chance to win!
Mai Xee Vang is currently a sophomore at St. Olaf College.
St. Olaf College TRIO Upward Bound Messenger Page 4
Fall Reminders and Announcements… Directors Notes: Mar i Avaloz
UB Programming for 2017-2018
With the addition of new schools comes adding to our full-time staff. UB is pleased to be in the schools four days a week to offer support and assistance. Please see below, when you can catch our staff in action.
Humboldt: UB will be at Humboldt on Mondays and Wednesdays from 8:00am – 4:00pm. Tutoring will be held from 2:00 – 4:00pm both days. Monday tutoring will be held in the UB office. New this year, Wednesday’s after school tutoring will be combined with OWL and held in their library from 2:00 – 4:00pm.
Central: UB will be at Central on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8:00am – 4:00pm. Tutoring will be held from 2:00 – 4:00pm all three days.
Creative Arts: UB Staff will be at Creative Arts every Tuesday from 9:00am – 5:00pm. Tutoring will be held after school from 3:00pm – 5:00pm.
Open World Learning Community: UB staff will be at OWL on Wednesdays from 8:00am – 4:00pm. Tutoring will be held in the library from 2:00pm – 4:00pm. OWL students can also take advantage of Monday optional tutoring at Humboldt from 2:00pm – 4:00pm in room 2247.
Highland Park: UB staff will be at Highland Tuesdays from 8:00am – 4:00pm. Mandatory tutoring will be held from 2:00pm – 4:00pm in the library. Staff will also be onsite Wednesdays and Thursdays from 8:00am – 2:00pm for additional support.
All Students: Remember, you are required to attend tutoring for at least one hour on your required tutoring day. Highland and Creative Arts’ required day is Tuesday, Humboldt and OWL’s required day is Wednesday and Central’s is Thursday! Students are encouraged to attend optional tutoring. Humboldt and Central Seniors: You are required to attend your assigned “Bridge Day” for a minimum of one hour to work on resumes, essays, and college applications! Humboldt’s Bridge Day is set for Monday and Central’s Bridge Day is Tuesday.
Phone Calls
Remember, you can call UB staff if you have questions or concerns. You can feel free to call us at 1-877-827-8658.
Advising
Students must meet with an Upward Bound advisor each month to go over their grades! Each student is assigned to one of the UB Advisors. Each school is assigned a primary advisor: Thay at Humboldt and Creative Arts, Kim at Central, Nou at OWL and Zookong at Highland Park. Bridge students will be assigned an advisor according to whichever team they are on (Team Mari, Team Kim or Team Thay).
Mentoring
Similar to last year, mentoring will be a huge focus for our program! Thay and Nou are excited to continue to set deadlines for letter writing. They will also be expecting each of you to attend ALL mentoring events this year! Remember, you will not earn your monthly stipend unless you write your mentor each month! For due dates at your school, please check the sticker board and/or talk to UB staff. Our first mentor event will be held on Saturday, November 4th – mark this date down in your planners now!
Extracurricular Activities
If you are involved in extracurricular activities, we still need to see you ONCE a week! If you cannot come to an hour of tutorial sessions, you must make sure to pick up an extracurricular form for your coach/advisor to sign and complete.
We look forward to another terrific year! Make sure to make school a priority; it will pay off once you start looking for colleges.
Upward Bound is currently recruiting students at all five high schools. Current students should talk to a UB staff member to receive referral cards to hand out to friends who are interested in applying. Each referral card that is turned in with a completed application will be entered into a drawing to win a prize!
Upward Bound is Recruiting!
Summer 2017 Highlights By: Thay Thao
Upward Bound’s 2017 summer was one to remember! This year, we had an average of 74 students attend the summer program each week. We would like to applaud all of the students for spending six weeks of their summer vacation dedicated towards their education. Everyone enjoyed their time living in the residence halls, eating in the cafeteria, attending classes and participating in afternoon and evening activities. Here are a few highlights we would like to share. As usual, students were incredibly busy during their college-prep courses. Rising sophomore students studied engineering in science class. They designed and tested rocket ships and presented interactive displays on model roller coasters. Rising juniors focused their writing skills and some presented their written work in the literary magazine and newsletter courses. Meanwhile, our rising seniors began working on their college essays and resumes, and visited 11 colleges!
The class of 2017 got their first taste of college life during the Summer Bridge course. This year, students took International Relations, taught by St. Olaf professor, Anthony Pahnke and participated in internships both on the St. Olaf campus and in the Northfield community. UB students did an amazing job balancing their first college course with their internships and other UB activities, and by now, they have all transferred their course credit to the colleges and universities they are currently attending!
Outside of the classroom, Upward Bound students tested their laser-tag skills when we visited Grand Slam. UB staff coordinated a laser tag competition in which Sunday night groups competed against one another for the highest score.
The best team of the night received the most points to advance them towards their group summer contest. When students were not playing laser-tag, they kept busy by playing mini-golf with friends and playing arcade games for tickets. Students loved the opportunity to play against their friends in a fun competition!
UB also revisited the Science Museum of Minnesota. When we arrived, UB watched a short film about the South Pacific Ocean in the Omni Theater. For many, it was their first time in the amazing giant dome! Afterwards, students were given admission into the exclusive Pixar exhibit where they were able to see the magic, science, and engineering needed to bring Pixar’s animation to life. After the exhibit, UB students were given free time to explore the museum and learn more about the science around them. Overall, students enjoyed learning more about their world and we hope they were inspired to continue learning more!
Upward Bound students also cooled off this summer by visiting the Apple Valley Aquatic Center. Inside the park, students were able to go down water slides, relax in the lazy river, play sand volleyball or read a book and enjoy the weather by our picnic area. It was UB’s first time visiting the center and students and staff enjoyed the chance to swim outdoors and zoom down waterslides.
We hope everyone had a wonderful time this summer. UB would like to thank the students and staff for making this summer a fun a safe one!
Summer photos from top left: ✴ Kaoyer Lee, Ba Blut Moo, and Nang Oo
performed at the Variety Show. ✴ The Bridge class of 2017 with St. Olaf
president, David Anderson, after the internship poster session.
✴ Rising sophomores designed and tested rockets in science class.
✴ Malee Yang, Bee Vang, and Bao Yang were covered in flour after the annual summer relay race.
✴ The class of 2018 took a quick break while visiting Augsburg College.
St. Olaf College TRIO Upward Bound Messenger Page 6
Bridge 101: Avoiding Senioritis By: Zookong Lee
Congratulations UB Class of 2018! You’ve made it to your senior year! You are now at the most exciting time of your high school career and will soon begin to apply for admission to the colleges and universities of your choosing!
It is very exciting to be a senior in high school; it’s your last year of high school and there will be different senior events for you and your friends to attend. Don’t get caught up in all the fun that you forget about your classes. This can be a big problem for many seniors –they end up catching the contagious senioritis.
What is senioritis? Senioritis is a term used to describe how seniors tend to get caught up in all the fun and excitement of senior year that they slowly forget about school work and it negatively affects their grades. So now, you’re wondering how a few bad grades may impact you since it is your last year. Typically, colleges request your final transcript after graduation. GPA is very important when colleges are looking at students and if a student ends up doing poorly in his/her senior year, colleges may put them on academic probation their first semester of college. The worst-case scenario is that they may take away a student’s admission to their school altogether.
Financial aid and scholarships may be affected by lower grades caused by senioritis. With a lowered GPA, a student may lose out on certain scholarships and grants because they did not meet the GPA requirement. This may limit students from being able to apply for and win multiple scholarships, which has a negative impact on your financial aid for college.
So now it’s important for you to know how to avoid catching senioritis. If you follow these steps you will be on your way to an exciting and amazing senior year!
Step 1: Make Small Goals
Even though you only have less than a year left of high school, that is still a lot of time. Senior year is a marathon, not a sprint, so you should set small goals for yourself every few weeks. They can be as small as turning in homework on time, or finishing a college application weeks before the deadline. Having these small goals for yourself will help you pace yourself with your workload throughout your senior year.
Step 2: Apply Good Study Habits
Start applying good study habits for your senior year. Make sure you know when you have tests and quizzes for your classes. Begin to prepare for those test and quizzes early. The earlier you start preparing, the more time you have to study. Find yourself a quiet and peaceful place where you can study. Another helpful study tip is to form study groups with students in your class. If you aren’t sure about a topic from class, someone from your study group may be able to help!
Step 3: Relax
Senior year may be exciting, but it can also a be a rollercoaster at times. Make sure you set time out for yourself and relax. Enjoy everything that comes with senior year. Enjoy all the senior events like homecoming, prom, graduation, and the all-night graduation party. This will be the last time you will spend with your friends and your senior class before you all go off on your separate ways. So make sure you enjoy every minute you can!
As you can see, even though senior year will be exciting, it will be busy as well. You have worked hard to get to this point and the finish line is finally closing in. Finish your last year of high school strong! And if you need any help along the way, please reach out to Upward Bound. We are here to help!
September & October Birthdays!
✴ Justin Solis- September 4
✴ Great Puegeren- September 9
✴ Soua Yang- September 10
✴ Yoshi Thao- September 12
✴ Rawnson Ivanoff- September 14
✴ Joquan Williams - September 14
✴ Sue Her - September 16
✴ Damauria Walker - September 17
✴ Nang Oo- September 23
✴ Vai Chang- September 23
✴ Ba Blut Moo – September 26
✴ Hanna Debele – September 28
✴ Fong Lee – September 28
✴ John Mbanda – October 2
✴ Mu Thoo – October 6
✴ Apple Per – October 7
✴ DQ Logan- October 15
✴ Aye Aye Thin - October 15
✴ Rowda Bashir – October 1
✴ Xang Thao – October 21
The Upward Bound Bridge Class of 2018!
St. Olaf College TRIO Upward Bound Messenger Page 7
The Student Leadership Council (SLC) once again had a productive and fun-filled summer! SLC members arrived at the summer program one day early with all of our new students to help with move-in day and lead team-building activities. During this time, SLC served as “peer mentors” for the new students by helping them adjust to being away from home and welcoming them to the UB family. Throughout the entire six-week summer program, SLC held weekly meetings and planned events, including our annual Cultural Night.
SLC assisted with the setup and decorating both the awards banquet and Mentor Event/Bridge Reception and raised money for the Annual Bridge Scholarship through their highly anticipated eggroll sale and UB Snack Store. Overall, SLC managed to raise over $1,200 for the Bridge Scholarship. Although it was an incredibly difficult decision, SLC voted to gift this year’s scholarships to
three deserving g r a d u a t i n g seniors, Natalie De l l a S e l v a , J e r u s a l e m Tadesse, and Victoria Vang!
During one of t h e i r l a s t s u m m e r meetings, new
SLC Executive Board Members were elected. Yo s h i T h a o (Central) was elected vice-p r e s i d e n t , Gkao Mee Seng X i o n g w a s elected Central treasurer and Kaoyer Lee was elected Humboldt treasurer, while and Aye Aye Thin (Humboldt) and Mindy Chang were elected secretaries at their respective schools. Mai Xiong (Humboldt) is now serving as our SLC President!
Finally, UB students elected four new sophomore members to serve on the Student Leadership Council. Ba Blut “B” Moo and Lah May Htoo will represent Humboldt High School, and Sue Her and Chameng Yang will represent Central.
I’m extremely excited to see how SLC will continue to grow during the coming year and all the great things they will do for Upward Bound!
SLC Update By:Kim Hi ldahl
UB staff and SLC members Aye Aye Thin and Mindy Chang prepping ingredients for the egg roll sale.
FAFSA Night(s) for UB Students and Their Parents/Guardians By: Nou Yang
For those of you who do not know, colleges and universities are unable to create your complete financial aid package without the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). It is important that the FAFSA is completed and submitted early in order to guarantee that you receive your financial aid package before you decide which college you will be attending.
Similar to last fall, UB will host two FAFSA Nights. The first option for Bridge students and their parent/guardian to attend will take place at Humboldt High School on Wednesday, October 11th, from 4-7pm in the room 2219.
The second FAFSA Night option will be held at Central High School on Thursday, October 26th, from 4:00 – 7:00pm in the library.
UB seniors and their parents/guardians are required to attend one of the FAFSA Night events and are strongly encouraged to complete the FAFSA with UB staff.
You Must Bring the Following Information to Upward Bound’s FAFSA Night:
✴ Student and Parent/Guardian Social Security Numbers or Alien Registration Numbers or Permanent Resident Cards
✴ Student and Parent/Guardian Driver’s License(s) (if any) ✴ Student and Parent/Guardian W-2 Forms for the 2016
Year and Other Records of Money Earned ✴ Student and Parent/Guardian 2016 Federal Income Tax
Returns ✴ Untaxed Income Records (Social Security, Temporary
Assistance for Needy Families, Welfare, Child Support, or Veterans Benefits)
✴ Student and Parent/Guardian Citizenship Verification ✴ Student and Parent/Guardian Current Bank Statements,
Savings Records and Records of Investments
St. Olaf College TRIO Upward Bound Messenger Page 8
UB Events for 2017-2018If you have not yet already, please mark your calendars for the UB events happening this year.
Remember, all UB events are mandatory!
October 2017
✴ October 11, 2017: FAFSA Night and Bridge Parent Meeting, Humboldt High School, 4:00- 7:00 PM (All Bridge students and a parent/guardian must attend one FAFSA Night)
✴ October 19, 2017: ACT Pre-Test, Central High School, 8:00 AM-1:00 PM (All juniors must attend)
✴ October 19, 2017: Bridge Day I, Central High School Library, 8:00 AM-4:00 PM, (All Bridge students must attend)
✴ October 20, 2017: Bridge Day II, Central High School Library, 8:00 AM-12:30 PM, (All Bridge Students must attend)
✴ October 20, 2017: ACT Refresher, Central High School, 12:30-4:00 PM, (All Bridge students taking the October ACT must attend).
✴ October 26, 2017: FAFSA Night and Bridge Parent Meeting, Central High School, 4:00- 7:00 PM (All Bridge students and a parent/ guardian must attend one FAFSA night)
November 2017
✴ November 4, 2017: Mentor Event, Goldy’s Gameroom - University of Minnesota, 11 AM- 2:00 PM.
✴ November 17, 2017: SLC Board Retreat, Base Camp, 9:00-2:00 PM (SLC Students must attend)
January 2018
✴ January 6, 2018: SLC Holiday Gathering, Humboldt High School, Time TBD (All students must attend)
✴ January 15, 2018: SLC Community Service Day/Board Meeting, Time and Location TBD (SLC students must attend)
✴ January 26, 2018: Study Skills/Planning for College, Central High School, Time TBD (New students and all sophomores must attend)
March 2018
✴ March 2, 2018: Career Day, Time and Location TBD (All sophomores and juniors must attend)
✴ March 26, 2018: ACT Registration Session, Central & Humboldt High School, 2:00-3:00pm (All juniors must attend)
April 2018
✴ April 28, 2018: Spring Mentor Event, Time and Location TBD (All sophomores, juniors, and Bridge must attend)
May 2018
✴ May 12, 2018: New Student/Parent Orientation, St. Olaf College, 8:00am-3:00pm (All new students and a parent/guardian must attend)
Upward Bound Calendar
UB Summer Program 2018: June 19-July 24
St. Olaf College TRIO Upward Bound Messenger Page 9
Mentor Spotlight: Kabao Thao By: Zookong Lee
This month’s mentor spotlight is Kabao Thao! Kabao is a mentor to Central senior, Mindy Chang. Kabao was born in Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin, but grew up in Minneapolis where she attended Edison Senior High School. At Edison, she was involved in volleyball and badminton and participated in the University of Minnesota’s TRIO Upward Bound program.
After high school, Kabao went to St. Olaf College where she majored in economics with a concentration in Asian studies. While at St. Olaf, Kabao was very involved in intramural volleyball, badminton, Team Tibet and Hmong Cultural Outreach. When Kabao was deciding on which college she wanted to attend, there were two things that were important to her. The first was that the college needed to have a TRIO Student Support Services program and the second was to have a very strong study abroad program. St. Olaf had both of the things that she was looking for, so it was a “no-brainer” for her to attend St. Olaf. After graduating from St. Olaf College, Kabao started graduate school at the University of Minnesota-Saint Mary’s for a Master’s of Arts in Health and Human Services Administration.
After finishing her master’s program, Kabao worked for UnitedHealth Group, Native American Community Clinic, and Fairview Health Services as a business analyst. Eventually, Kabao found her way to a new company, Voya Financial, and currently, works as a business analyst in their Employee Benefit Operations Technology Unit. I asked Kabao about what she does as a
Business Analyst and she said, “I onboard new employers to Voya technology platform through maintaining massive files of employee enrollment data, managing both production support and project enhancements for Voya voluntary benefits products. I provide an exceptional implementation experience for sales,
vendors, and employers by offering an improved cloud environment to ensure their enrollment data is protected and processed to Voya.” Kabao is also a professionally licensed realtor at Creative Results. Even though Kabao is doing great things currently, she still has more plans for her future. Kabao hopes to grow her start-up business through creating business requirements in administration, operation, and sales.
I asked Kabao why she wanted to mentor for Upward Bound and she said, “I mentor for Upward Bound because I want to give back to the TRIO programs. Whether it is supporting the students with college applications or helping the TRIO program to continue their academic services to the students.”
I also asked Kabao if she had any advice for current UB students; she shared, “My best advice
to UB students is that this is the time to be as risky as you want. Grow where you want to be. This is about you. This is your moment to shine. Your prime time to take control of what you dream to be.”
Upward Bound would like to thank Kabao for being such a great mentor and being featured on this month’s Mentor Spotlight!
UB mentor, Kabao Thao, is a TRIO alumna and works as a
business analyst.
Student Article: End-of-Summer Camping Trip By: Tr ia Yang
Each summer, UB takes roughly 50 students on an overnight trip after the completion of the summer program. This year, UB teamed up with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources “I Can Camp” program and went on an overnight camping trip to Mille Lacs Kathio State Park, in Onamia, MN. Students had the chance to do fun activities such as fishing, geocaching, hiking, and stargazing. After a full day of fun activities, students were led through demonstrations on how to use a camp stove and how to build a fire.
Next, students were put into groups to cook their own spaghetti. Students had a great time cooking spaghetti in different ways and UB staff sampled unique recipes students come up with, such as beans and broccoli stir fry and oil fried bread. Cooking a meal outside was a highlight for many on the trip!
When the sun slept and the moon woke up, students enjoyed a bonfire, complete with ghost stories and smores. Dan, the UB summer science teacher, also set up his nighttime bug catching kit and taught students about the different types of bugs at the state park. Overall, UB students had a great time and experienced many new things on the camping trip!
✴ Mai Xiong, Freelar Htoo, Ser Dah and Chri Moo cooked dinner over the camping stove.
✴ Lay Chri Htoo, John Mbanda, Mu Thoo, and Universe Wah worked together to set up their campsite.
✴ Kaoyer Lee posed with her catch. ✴ Vai Cheng and science teacher, Dan
Taylor, examined the area bug species.
Camping photos from top left:
St. Olaf College TRIO Upward Bound Messenger Page 10
St. Olaf CollegeTRIO Upward
Bound Messengerest. 1989
Program Staff Mari Avaloz, Director
Kim Hildahl, Academic Coordinator Zookong Lee, 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.
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
