Mykayla Young and Luis Reyes Lopez respond to Finding Me: A Memoir by Viola Davis
Two TRIO Upward Bound students at Dakota County Technical College (DCTC), Mykayla Young, grade 11, and Luis Reyes Lopez, grade 9, both from Burnsville High School, submitted winning essays to the Council for Opportunity in Education (COE) Opportunity Matters Book Club.
“During our Upward Bound summer program, we read and discussed Finding Me: A Memoir written by Viola Davis, Oscar-winning actress and producer,” said Caitin Siefkes, TRIO Upward Bound director at DCTC. “Mykayla and Luis responded to essay prompts issued by COE, and their submissions were published with other contest winners in the 2023 COE Opportunity Matters Book Club Student Essays and Art Challenge.”
According to COE: “The book club discussions served as inspiration for student essays and artwork, with essay prompts revolving around themes such as addressing bullying, the severity of bullying in schools or communities, and creating resources for bullying victims. The art challenge encouraged students to draw inspiration from the themes explored in the memoir for their creative expressions.”
Luis Reyes Lopez
Luis Reyes Lopez
TRIO Upward Bound student
Burnsville High School
Dakota County Technical College
Age: 14
Hometown: St.Paul, Minnesota
Current residence: Burnsville, Minnesota
High school grade: 9
College plans: “I’d like to go to college and major in Film Studies.”
Career plans: Film producer and director
“The 2023 COE Opportunity Matters Book Club Student Essays and Art Challenge helped me think in other people’s shoes,” Luis said, “and it helped my self-esteem when Caitlin told me that my story got accepted.”
Three words that describe you as an Upward Bound student:
CREATIVE. FLEXIBLE. FUN.
Luis Reyes Lopez • Q & A
How has your participation in Upward Bound helped you advance your college goals?
Upward Bound has made me more confident and has helped my self-esteem.
What do you enjoy most about writing?
Building worlds and taking people across worlds. Sometimes, I like to send people to memories or lives. It’s very fun.
What are your highest aspirations as a writer?
I want to entertain everyone; I want people to laugh and cry with my characters.
What advice would you give students thinking about participating in Upward Bound?
Throw yourself. That is what I did when i submitted “Deathless.” I threw myself into something I thought would make my self-esteem worse, but, no, this was very worth it.
One word that best describes your experience in Upward Bound:
USEFUL
Upward Bound advisor perspective: Husni Hussein
Husni and Luis
“I may not have known Luis for very long, but it’s clear to me that he is dedicated to his work and unhesitant in expressing his passions. The creativity he has shared with us is just a glimpse of his true talent and commitment.”
Husni Hussein
Upward Bound Advisor
Burnsville High School
Dakota County Technical College
2023 COE Opportunity Matters Book Club winning essay
Mykayla Young
Mykayla Young
TRIO Upward Bound student
Burnsville High School
Dakota County Technical College
Age: 16
Hometown: Duluth, Minnesota
Current residence: Burnsville, Minnesota
High school grade: 11
College plans: “My current college plans are nursing or psychology.”
Career plans: RN or psychologist
“When I got accepted by the COE Opportunity Matters Book Club Student Essays and Art Challenge, I felt like something I went through actually meant something,” Mykayla said. “I had been under a rock for so long of I didn’t know how to cope. So I wrote and wrote, and when this opportunity came I was like ‘Yes, sign me up!’
“After getting accepted for this, I feel much more confident, heard, and overall like I mean something more then the girl that’s been abused her whole life. This honestly has made me feel better about the words I write. And the feelings I have—so thank you to the people who chose my article.”
Three words that describe you as an Upward Bound student:
STRONG-WILLED. RESILIENT. OPEN-MINDED.
Mykayla Young • Q & A
How has your participation in Upward Bound helped you advance your college goals?
My participation in Upward Bound has helped me advance my college goals by showing me what college life could be like. And that has helped me narrow down my possible choices.
What do you enjoy most about writing?
What I enjoy most about writing is that you can write for hours, and you will never have to worry about someone else seeing your words unless you want them to. It is a great way to show your feelings behind closed covers. No talking, just a pen and paper beneath a cover you can sometimes lock.
What are your highest aspirations as a writer?
My highest aspirations as a writer don’t really go out of writing to myself in my journal, or acing an essay in class, and, of course, writing music.
What advice would you give students thinking about participating in Upward Bound?
Some advice I would give to someone thinking about participating in Upward Bound is, do it. You only live once, and you might as well do something to help your future! And it doesn’t take up that much time if you really think about the logistics of it. Yes, sometimes it’s frustrating, but all the advisors I work with are awesome and some of the biggest supporters in my life. So, just do it.
One word that best describes your experience in Upward Bound:
INVITING
Upward Bound advisor perspective: Mark McCreary
Mykayla and Mark
“Mykayla has been very focused and determined to reach the goal of attending college. Since the first day we met, Mykayla has shown that nothing will get in the way—challenges are seen as ways to be creative in persevering to accomplishing one’s goal in life.”
Mark McCreary
Upward Bound Advisor
Burnsville High School
Dakota County Technical College
2023 COE Opportunity Matters Book Club winning essay
2023 Book Club Student Essays and Art¹
TRIO Programs Foster Literary Engagement and Creative Expression In 2023: Reading ‘Finding Me’ Inspires Student Essays And Artwork On Bullying And Identity.
In 2023, COE continued its successful Opportunity Matters Book Club initiative, inviting TRIO students to engage in discussions centered around how literature reflects their lives. The featured book for that year was Finding Me: A Memoir by Viola Davis, a renowned actress and TRIO Upward Bound alumna.
Within the book, she candidly recounts her experiences with poverty, racism, and self-discovery, shedding light on her personal struggles with identity and self-worth.
Through unwavering resilience and determination, Davis ultimately triumphs over adversities to become a highly respected and influential presence in the entertainment industry.
Throughout the spring and summer of 2023, TRIO programs nationwide organized local book club chapters to engage program participants in reading and discussing Finding Me.
The book club discussions served as inspiration for student essays and artwork, with essay prompts revolving around themes such as addressing bullying, the severity of bullying in schools or communities, and creating resources for bullying victims.
The art challenge encouraged students to draw inspiration from the themes explored in the memoir for their creative expressions.
LEARN MORE…
Learn more about TRIO Upward Bound at DCTC by contacting:
Caitlin Siefkes
TRIO Upward Bound Director
Dakota County Technical College
651-423-8463
¹ SOURCE: COE Opportunity Matters Book Club
More about TRIO Upward Bound…
Federal TRIO educational opportunity outreach programs support and help motivate low-income, first-generation college students as well as students with disabilities to navigate academic environments from middle school to postgraduate programs.
The goal of Federal TRIO programs is to increase the percentage of low-income and first-generation college students who successfully pursue postsecondary education opportunities.
Upward Bound provides academic and personal support and guidance to help qualifying high school students get to college. First generation college students, participants have college potential, but lack awareness of the many academic and career options possible after high school. The DCTC Upward Bound program closes that gap.
Part of the family of Federal TRIO programs, Upward Bound is funded by the U.S. Department of Education. TRIO programs ensure equal educational opportunities for all students by providing skills and information needed to overcome class, social and cultural barriers to higher education.
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