TRIO program graduates thriving in four-year schools
Three Latina-American college students, Marisela Loera, Gladys Reyes and Osiris Bardales, are making the most of the opportunities provided by Upward Bound, a national program that more than doubles the chances that low-income, first-generation students will graduate from college. Millions of Americans have benefited from the academic support and coaching provided by Upward Bound, which belongs to the Federal TRIO family of programs funded by the U.S. Department of Education. UB began as part of President Lyndon Johnson’s War on Poverty in 1964. A year later, 17 UB programs had enrolled more than 2,000 participants. Today, Upward Bound is allotted more than $265 million in funding annually and has roughly 61,500 participants.
Upward Bound at Dakota County Technical College serves 50 students in grades 9–12 from Henry Sibley and South St. Paul high schools and 60 students from Burnsville High School. Dora Schumacher, the director of TRIO programs at DCTC, noted that Upward Bound helps students succeed academically by giving them the tools they need to first graduate from high school before enrolling in and graduating from college.
“Upward Bound participants have college potential, but are often unaware of the academic and career options beyond high school,” Dora said. “We encourage all qualified students to apply. The likelihood of Upward Bound students going to college immediately after graduation increases by persistence in the program from 77 percent at two years to 93 percent at three or more years.”
Gladys, Osiris and Marisela have all gone on to four-year schools. Gladys is at the College of St. Scholastica in Duluth, Minnesota, with plans to study abroad in Ireland in 2016. Osiris is attending Augsburg College and is presently studying abroad in Hong Kong. Marisela is a graduate student at Lincoln Memorial University in Tennessee, pursuing her goal to become a doctor. All three agree Upward Bound was instrumental in making their higher education dreams come true.
DCTC Upward Bound graduate spotlights
Marisela LoeraMarisela Loera
Age: 24
South St. Paul High School Class of 2010
Hometown: South St. Paul, Minnesota
Living now: Cumberland Gap, Tennessee
After Upward Bound, Marisela Loera went on to earn a Bachelor of Arts in Biochemistry with a Biology minor from St. Catherine University. Marisela now attends Lincoln Memorial University in Harrogate, Tennessee. She is enrolled in a master’s degree program that has her taking courses alongside first-year medical students. The program will lead her medical school and her goal to become a primary care physician or pediatrician. She is focused on achieving the best grades possible in her classes.
Marisela is looking forward to graduating from medical school in 2020. She enjoys life in Tennessee, but misses her husband, Rodrigo, a restaurant manager who is back home in Minnesota with the couple’s two Chihuahuas, both boys, Chiquitin, a monster at 11 pounds, and Frijolito, who weighs six pounds less.
Marisela Q&A
Q. What did you like best about Upward Bound?
A. I really enjoyed the monthly outings with Upward Bound. Once a month I was able to do enjoy an activity that I would not do regularly. We saw the Holiday Train, went to plays, visited numerous colleges and we also had several outdoor activities.
Q. What’s your favorite memory from Upward Bound?
A. My favorite memory consists of a trip that we took to Florida. We visited a university, saw the beach, went to Sea World, but my favorite part was watching the play A Midnight Summer’s Dream. The actors did a wonderful job and I was entertained throughout the entire play.
Q. What did you gain most from Upward Bound?
A. Upward bound taught me to work for what I want in life. To get a good ACT score, I put in a lot of time and effort. Filling out undergraduate school applications and scholarship applications also required a lot of effort. While I was in high school, Jill Bjorklund (a former TRIO/UB advisor at DCTC) really encouraged me to do a great job when filling out scholarship applications. This paid off as I was granted the largest scholarship from the South Saint Paul Educational Foundation. From that experience, I learned that it was possible to achieve great things as long as I work for them.
Q. What would you tell a high school student who’s thinking about participating in Upward Bound?
A. If there is a high school student who is thinking about participating in Upward Bound I would tell them to join the program. They will make great friends. There will be study sessions to prepare for the ACT which is very beneficial. They will not regret their decision to join.
Q. Why did you choose your career path?
A. When I was 12 my father passed away after an accident. He was unable to recover after a head injury. His passing brought a lot of sadness to my family. As a physician, I would like to help people make life choices that will help them live longer healthier lives so their families do not have to suffer from them passing away early in life.
Q. What are your favorite pastimes and hobbies?
A. I enjoy taking my dogs on walks and watching movies.
Q. What has been your toughest challenge in life?
A. I am currently working on my toughest challenge: getting into medical school. It is not enough to have good grades in undergraduate school. To get into medical school, I need experience in the medical field, a good MCAT, astounding letters of recommendation and I have to do great on the interviews. Hopefully, I will be receiving a letter of acceptance and join the class of 2020.
Marisela and friend at St. Kate’s
Q. What was your happiest experience in life so far?
A. My happiest experience in life so far has been getting married. It was great being able to spend time with family and friends on that special day.
Q. What is your favorite place in the world?
A. My favorite place is being at home. There is no better place for me to be relaxed and comfortable.
Q. What three words would you use to to describe yourself as a person?
A. Quiet. Caring. Reliable.
Q. If you could meet anyone in the world, alive or dead, who would that one person be?
A. I would like to meet Abraham Lincoln to thank him for fighting for the rights of every human and abolishing slavery.
Q. Would rather travel a million years into the future or a million years into the past?
A. I would rather go in the past one million years
Q. Why did you pick that direction in time?
A. One million years ago the human race was considered an endangered species and I think it would be interesting to see how we went from being endangered to overpopulating. Also there are several hypothesis as to how humans lived one million years ago and I would like to have these clarified.
Q. What is your highest aspiration in life?
A. My highest aspiration in life is to become a great physician who is able to make a difference in the health of patients.
Q. What’s your favorite animal (or bird or any sort of creature) in the world?
A. My favorite animal in the world is a dog, especially Chihuahuas.
Q. If you could have any one thing in the world, what would that one thing be?
A. I would like to have immense knowledge. Finishing school and taking all the required exams would be a lot easier if I had immense knowledge. I would also be able to treat all my patients better if I am more knowledgeable amount their ailments and ways to correct them.
Osiris Bardales
- Age: 20
- Henry Sibley High School Class of 2013
- Hometown: Santa Barbara, Honduras
- Living now: St. Paul, Minnesota
Osiris Bardales is on track to graduate from Augsburg College in spring 2017 with a GPA of 3.0 or above. Osiris is earning her Bachelor of Arts in International Business and Finance with a minor in Management Information Systems (MIS). She does volunteer work for the Latino Economic Development Center (LEDC) and has plans to get work experience while saving up to earn her M.B.A.
Osiris is focused on launching a career at a financial company, preferably in the investment sector. She enjoys volunteering and sees herself sharing her time and expertise at a nonprofit that helps the Latino community. She would also like to land a job that would allow her to live in South America for a few years. She is overseas studying in Hong Kong this semester, but lives with her dad and brother. Her older sister has two kids, Axel and Isaac, whom she loves. Her mom resides in Honduras.
Osiris Q&A
Q. What did you like best about Upward Bound?
A. Having the opportunity to go to other states during the summer; the trips were always so educative (which I loved)
Q. What’s your favorite memory from Upward Bound?
A. Going horseback riding for the first time. I remember I was afraid, but the others were so supportive and encouraging—just like family looking out for you.
Q. What did you gain most from Upward Bound?
A. I gained all the support I needed to get closer to achieving my goals.
Q. What would you tell a high school student who’s thinking about participating in Upward Bound?
A. Join Upward Bound because it’s worth it! The staff really care about you and your future. The support you get from this program you cannot find anywhere else.
Q. Why did you choose your career path?
A. I chose international business because I enjoy learning about cultures, and I would like to get a job where I can travel to other countries and learn about their cultures. I chose finance because there are not many Latinas/os in the field; I feel like my community is not represented. I want to be a resource and have workshops to educate people about financial literacy.
Q. What are your favorite pastimes and hobbies?
A. I like to play badminton and read books in Spanish; I like dance music in Spanish like bachata and merengue; and I like Duolingo (trying to keep and improve my French)
Q. What has been your toughest challenge in life?
A. Moving to the United States and not knowing English. I spent all of my time studying English when I was in middle school. By the time I got to high school, I was able to communicate with others.
Q. What was your happiest experience in life so far?
A. Going to Thailand to ride the elephants, and getting lifted by the trunk of one.
Osiris visiting Macao, China
Q. What is your favorite place in the world?
A. I haven’t traveled that much, but I have to say that my favorite place is back home in Honduras where my mom lives.
Q. What three words would you use to to describe yourself as a person?
A. Dedicated. Nice. Learner.
Q. If you could meet anyone in the world, alive or dead, who would that one person be?
A. I’d like to meet Jane Elliot, an anti-racist activist.
Q. Would rather travel a million years into the future or a million years into the past?
A. A million years into the future
Q. Why did you pick that direction in time?
A. Because I would like to see the outcome of the actions we are taking today (whether they are negative or positive)
Q. What is your highest aspiration in life?
A. My family, specifically my dad, he gave me more than I ever needed. He sacrificed so much to help me get where I am today and I just want him to be proud of me. Also, I want to be a role model in my community.
Q. What’s your favorite animal (or bird or any sort of creature) in the world?
A. Elephants and dolphins
Q. If you could have any one thing in the world, what would that one thing be?
A. The power to stop the destruction of natural resources; it’s sad to see how people are focusing in getting wealthy even if that means destroying the beauty of the earth.
Q. What’s it like studying abroad in Hong Kong?
A. It’s different! As one of the few Latinas here, I feel privileged. Hong Kong has a unique culture—it’s a mix of traditional and modern values. There is the language barrier that definitely makes things harder, but I am a person who likes to challenge myself. I enjoy being outside of my comfort zone because that is how I experience growth.
Gladys Reyes
Gladys Reyes
- Age: 20
- Henry Sibley High School Class of 2013
- Hometown: St. Paul, Minnesota
- Living now: Duluth, Minnesota
Gladys Reyes was 11 years old when she was run over and dragged by a van as she crossed a street on her way home. Gladys lost her right arm below the shoulder; her left leg was severely damages. All told, she endured more than 20 surgeries and several months of rehabilitation.* Nine years later, Gladys is attending the College of St. Scholastica as a junior. She’s earning a Bachelor of Science in Health Information Management with a minor in Computer Information Systems. She’s scheduled to graduate in May 2017.
Spring semester 2016, Gladys is heading to Ireland to study with 20 other students in County Mayo. Her dream would be to land a job in the Twin Cities so she can begin a career in her hometown next to the people she cares for most. HIM, her major of choice, is an expansive profession offers numerous opportunities in fields such as management, data analytics, IT, medical records administration and more. She would love get a job at Regions Hospital, the place she was born. Gladys has an older brother, Jose M., and a younger brother, Inocente. The family has min-pin named Boss.
* You can learn more about Gladys by reading “This is Gladys Reyes’ night, and how she’s earned it” by Ruben Rosario in the Pioneer Press.
Gladys Q&A
Q. What did you like best about Upward Bound?
A. What I liked most about Upward Bound is the family-like feel that the program gave me. Not only did the friends that I made and kept through Upward Bound make the experience worthwhile, the advisors also had a great impact. Almost three years since my high school graduation and I still keep in contact with my advisors.
Q. What’s your favorite memory from Upward Bound?
A. I have many favorite memories from Upward Bound. I cherish all the times that have come my way because of UB. They have all been so great and rewarding. From sitting in on lectures, to taking college visit trips, and adventuring off to California for our senior trip—no memories have yet occurred that can beat those!
Q. What did you gain most from Upward Bound?
A. I think that all the knowledge and the advice that I have on how to succeed in college has been a huge gain. If it wasn’t for the Upward Bound advisors, I don’t know where I would be. Upward Bound was always my backbone support system, due to the lack of information my parents possessed, I relied on a lot of support and answers from the Upward Bound program.
Q. What would you tell a high school student who’s thinking about participating in Upward Bound?
A. I would tell them to act fast and jump into the wonderful opportunity of becoming an Upward Bound member. In the end, it is a program that has a lot to offer. It is so rewarding and all the relationships you build are there to stay! You will be exposed to a lot of beneficial information regarding postsecondary education plans with the right resources on how to make your future possible!
Q. Why did you choose your career path?
A. Having spent a long time in the hospital due to my accident in 2007. I was amazed to see how the healthcare field operates. I knew that one day I would be back to the hospital, not injured, but ready to begin a career in a healthcare-related field.
Q. What are your favorite pastimes and hobbies?
A. I mostly am always surrounded with my friends and family. Spending time with friends and family are moments that can never be beat. I love spending time in the outdoors especially during my favorite season, which is fall. Hanging out with my dog.
Q. What has been your toughest challenge in life?
A. Adapting to life after my accident. The idea of finding different ways to do things has been tough. I’ve retrained my left arm to be better than my right once was.
Q. What was your happiest experience in life so far?
A. My happiest experience in life so far is just being able to see where I stand at this point in my life regardless of everything that I have gone through and have put my family through. I’m very happy with the way thing are going right now and I couldn’t ask for it any other way.
Gladys Reyes at St. Scholastica
Q. What is your favorite place in the world?
A. My favorite place in the world could be anywhere as long as there is good company, laughter and good conversation.
Q. What three words would you use to to describe yourself as a person?
A. Supportive. Understanding. Caring.
Q. If you could meet anyone in the world, alive or dead, who would that one person be?
A. Selena
Q. Would rather travel a million years into the future or a million years into the past?
A. A million years into the past
Q. Why did you pick that direction in time?
A. I think that time just goes by so fast if there ever was an opportunity to go back in time I definitely would.
Q. What is your highest aspiration in life?
A. My highest aspiration in life is to live the life that I never had. Growing up in a low-income home and with busy parents that worked all the time meant we definitely missed out on family time. My parents always tried to give my brothers and me everything that we hoped for. I hope that one day it won’t be such a hassle for me like it was for them. I want to be able to provide for my family to the best of my ability when that time comes. I want to be a resource for my kids that I do plan to have one day and provide them with the knowledge and skills that were lacking in my household.
Q. What’s your favorite animal (or bird or any sort of creature) in the world?
A. Panda bears
Q. If you could have any one thing in the world, what would that one thing be?
A. Endless time—realizing how fast the days roll by, everyone is all busy living their life—we miss out on opportunities like family time.
“Five facts about Latinos and education”
by Jens Manuel Krogstad
- Over the past decade, the Hispanic high school dropout rate has dropped dramatically. The rate has reached a record low, dropping from 32 percent in 2000 to 14 percent in 2013 among those ages 18 to 24 years old.
- The number of Hispanics ages 18 to 24 enrolled in a two- or four-year college has more than tripled since 1993. In 2013, 2.2 million Hispanics were enrolled in college, up from 728,000 in 1993—a 201 percent increase. Today, Hispanics are the largest minority group on U.S. college campuses.
- Even though more Hispanics are getting a postsecondary education than ever before, Hispanics still lag other groups in obtaining a four-year degree. In 2013, among Hispanics ages 25 to 29, just 15 percent of Hispanics have a bachelor’s degree or higher.
- Another reason Hispanics lag in bachelor’s degrees is that nearly half who go to college attend a public two-year school, the highest share of any race or ethnicity. By comparison, among college-goers, 30 percent of whites, 32 percent of Asians and 34 percent of blacks go to a community college.
- Hispanics are significantly less likely than other groups to have student debt. About 22 percent of young Hispanic households (those headed by someone younger than 40) have education loans. The share is nearly twice as high among young white households (42 percent) and young black households (40 percent).
— Courtesy of the Pew Research Center
For more information about TRIO Upward Bound at DCTC, contact:
651-423-8463
