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Director’s Note

The Edge:

A Publication

of Upward Bound

April 2013

I would like to start off by expressing my dearest condolences to the victims of the Boston and West, Texas tragedy, in addition to the loss of someone closer to home for my Aldine students: Brian Alvarado. While the world can sometimes feel dark and scary, I encourage each of you to look for the silver linings in your lives—for it is there, that we begin to see little specks of hope shining through. It is hard to believe the Spring semester is quickly coming to a close. With so many new faces joining our UB family, this year has definitely been an exciting one! With the welcome of new faces, we also prepare to say “See you later” to others. It is sad to think our class of 2013 will be leaving us soon, but they have undoubtedly left a path of excellence that the rest of you UB’ers can and will live up to. Before they go, here is a final Spring newsletter that I hope each of them holds onto as a keepsake to remember the great times Upward Bound has shared with them! Sincerely,

Mrs. Gonzales

Summer Program

The summer is almost here and the UB faculty and staff are working hard to prepare an exciting, interactive, and fun-filled summer program for our students. The UB Summer Program is a six-week academic component that will be held June 11th through July 23rd. All rising 10th, 11th, and 12th graders are strongly encouraged to attend. During this time, students will be placed in summer courses which are structured to enhance their academic skills for the following fall semester. The summer curriculum will consist of courses in Eng-lish composition, literature, mathematics, science, foreign language, and STAAR/TAKS test preparation. Classes will be held Monday through Thursday at Lone Star College-North Harris. Fridays will be reserved for fieldtrips (campus tours, museums, community service, etc.). *** A mandatory meeting for both students and parents will be held on May 30th at 6pm at Lone Star College–North Harris.

UPCOMING EVENTS

May 4th — Mystery Trip June 6th — Last Day of School June 8th — Graduation June 3rd to July 9th — Bridge Program June 11th to July 23rd — Summer Program June 28th — UB Bowl July 23rd — Project Day July 24th — Summer Trip Meeting July 25th — UB Banquet July 28th to 31st — Summer Trip

* Texas State & UT 2

* Money Matters ********************************

* SFA 3 * Camp Allen ********************************

* Leadership Quest 4

* SHSU * Facebook ********************************

* Remind101 5 * UB in Action

Bridge Program

The UB program will offer a Bridge summer program to all graduating seniors to assist in the transition from high school to college. Students will be enrolled in college courses at Lone Star College-North Harris and will still receive one-on-one academic advising. The program will cover tuition costs and book fees. The program will be held June 3rd through July 9th. *** A mandatory meeting for both students and parents will be held on May 28th at 6pm at Lone Star College–North Harris.

“Life isn't about finding yourself. Life is

about creating yourself.”

- George Bernard Shaw

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Money Matters, February 9, 2013

Texas State & University of Texas– Austin January 18—19, 2013

The trip to Texas State and UT-Austin was the first trip we

attended with the Upward Bound crew, so of course we were very excited,

but also a little bit nervous because we didn’t really know any of the

students there. However, we felt that this was the perfect opportunity to

meet new friends and take in some well needed knowledge from the

colleges. Texas State really opened our eyes to maybe one day becoming a

Bobcat! I had so much fun at Wonder World- getting to know the others,

feeding the animals, and learning some interesting facts about the fault line

and the cave. After Wonder World, we went out for a nice dinner and off

to the mall!

Our first time on the UT Austin campus was eye opening because

there was so much to see and learn that I didn’t even know where to start.

The campus was very nice, yet I don’t consider it a university I would like

to attend. It was very big and, to tell you the truth, I like smaller campuses

where I would feel more comfortable. Lunch time came around and we

went to Double Dave’s. There I tasted something I have never even thought

of eating – chocolate chip pizza! The trip overall was a great experience, and I look forward to more trips with

Upward Bound.

Written by: Kierra Hill & Sandra Zelaya

Nimitz High School, 10th

On February 9th, the Upward Bound, Educational Talent Search, and

Student Support Services programs (known as TRIO) at Lone Star College-

North Harris hosted the first of what is shaping up to be an annual financial

literacy event, titled “Money Matters”. This event was open to parents and

students participating in TRIO programs. With nearly 200 people in attend-

ance, this event was well received!

Participants in TRIO are regularly reminded by program staff just

how critical the comprehension of financial literacy is to the nation’s future,

but more specifically, to their individual future. Many Americans lack the

resources to educate themselves on this particular matter, so TRIO has made

it a prominent theme in their programs’ service delivery.

Guest speakers from financial institutions around the Houston area, along with our own program staff,

presented workshops covering various topics of money management: credit cards, banking, debt, needs versus

wants, etc. Being that the population of students in attendance were either enrolled in college already or are

college-bound, this information is critical to their success not only in managing their finances, but in almost

every other aspect of their lives.

Written by: Mrs. Gonzales

Program Manager

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Stephen F. Austin State University, February 23, 2013

On February 23rd, Upward Bound went to Stephen

F. Austin State University’s Showcase Saturday. It was

such a great opportunity to attend and see what SFA has

to offer. Most people think that it is located in Austin,

since the school name is Stephen F. Austin, but it is

approximately 260 miles northeast.

SFA exposed me to see what college is about and

we had the time to explore and get to know about the

campus. We had students that are currently attending

talk to us and share their experiences about their college

life, how much they have learned, and what great opportunities they had. They also shared about the clubs

they have and encouraged us to be active and join in anything that we are interested in. We also had the

chance to look at the dorms. We had a student tell us about the dorms and their opinion about how things work

once you settle in. Of course, if we had questions, they were more than glad to answer.

I just loved the fact that we were surrounded by professors and college students and got to see how it

feels to be there and picture yourself there. We were able to listen to their stories and know that they were

once in our spots and one day, we will be right where they are and be known by our name and know that they

care and want to help us to succeed in life! I honestly can say that I enjoyed going to SFA and having that type

of environment, not of a big place nor small, but the people is what makes it a great university and I would

love to go visit again!

Written by: Alicia Rosales,

Eisenhower High School, 11th

Twenty-six students traveled to Camp Allen in Navasota,

Texas to participate in a ropes course led by the wonderful staff at

Camp Allen. It is always a treat to see our Upward Bound students

out of their normal environment, actively participating in physical

activities. The students learned how to work as a team, trust one

another, and how to communicate in order to reach the team's

goals.

After a delicious lunch enjoyed by the lake, the students

participated in high ropes activities, which included a zip line, the

high swing, and climbing in pairs. Each activity definitely required

teamwork. When a student was on a high apparatus, the other

students were spotters, ladder holders, and cheerleaders. There

were a few Tarzan sounds and lots of laughter!

Many of the students doubted themselves; thinking would

not be able to overcome their fear of heights. Upon completion, they were very proud of what they had

accomplished. The students enjoyed all of the activities and being outside on a beautiful day.

Camp Allen, March 9, 2013

Written by: Mrs. Cates,

Office Coordinator

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Leadership Quest, March 22-23, 2013

On March 22-23rd , Mrs. Gonzales, Mrs. Cates, and I took

an incredible group of 10 students to a weekend of leadership

development at Camp Allen. The students that attended the

conference were: Hana Corona, Dinina Daniel, Becky Deluna,

Gerardo Garza, Nyla Luter, Angel Pacheco, Mariajose Toledo

Cristian Perez, Jennifer Soto, and Wilmer Tinoco. The weekend

was full of workshops and activities designed to explore each

student’s individual leadership style and to develop leadership

skills in each student. Some highlights included horseback riding, the low-ropes team building course, and the

“Fill Your Bucket” activity, where the students affirmed each other through filling each others buckets with

encouraging notes written on rocks. It was a privilege to get to know each student, to learn their areas of

strength, and to see their capacity to be great leaders among their peers. We look forward to these

students rising up as leaders in Upward Bound, as well as look forward to helping each of you

find your areas of strength to develop you as a great leader!

Receive updates on upcoming program events, connect

with alumni, and much more!

Search for “LSC-North Harris Upward Bound” on

Facebook or scan the QR code for direct access!

“Like” the LSC-NH Upward Bound page on Facebook!

Written by: Carrie Hays

UB ACE Advisor

Sam Houston State University, April 6, 2013

Written by: Erika Lopez,

Aldine High School, 10th

On Saturday, April 6th, a group of students from Upward

Bound went to visit Sam Houston University. This experience was

great and I appreciate the opportunity to visit the school. I really

enjoyed the trip. Sam Houston is now one of my top choices for

college! The physical features of the college were nice, but I was

also impressed by the quality of education that I would get there. I

like that Sam Houston is not far from home and seems to be a nice

community. The streets are hilly, but I would get used to that! A

former student from Upward Bound, who is now a student at Sam

Houston, showed us around and encouraged us to continue to do

well in school and to not stop until we reach our goals!

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Upward Bound in Action

Contact Us

281-618-5746 (LSC-North Harris) Vanessa.M.Gonzales@Lonestar.edu

* This newsletter is dedicated to Brian Alvarado and the victims

of the Boston and West, Texas tragedy. Our thoughts are with

you all! May we always remember how precious life is...

Parents

Text notifications - Text @UB121 to 832-495-4498

Email notifications - Email UB121@mail.remind101

Remind 101

Students

Text notifications - Text @942cb to 832-495-4498

Email notifications - Email 942cb@mail.remind101

What is it?

It’s a way for our UB staff to send reminders via text or email about any

upcoming trips, events, reminders, etc.