Banquet Honors Students Participating in
Tri-County's Upward Bound Program

CONTACT: DAVID PRESSLEY, EXT. 2351

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 7/23/99
(By Lisa Garrett)

PENDLETON --- Upward Bound provides educational opportunities and a nurturing, culturally rich environment for high school students, recalled Shonta Putman, an Upward Bound alumna and assistant director of Student Support Services at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. She addressed a crowd of students and parents at the 19th annual banquet honoring students participating in Tri-County Technical College's Upward Bound program.

"I've been blessed by Upward Bound. I wouldn't be here today and wouldn't have done the things I've done without the program," said Ms. Putman, an honor graduate of T.L. Hanna High School who participated in the Upward Bound program from 1986 – 89.

Upward Bound is a federally funded program which helps high school students to develop the skills and motivation necessary to complete secondary school and successfully pursue post-secondary educational programs.

The Upward Bound project, sponsored by Tri-County, serves 9th, 10th, 11th and 12th graders from Anderson, Oconee and Pickens counties. It targets those who are potential college students and gives them information about the college opportunities available to them.

Ms. Putman says the Upward Bound staff helped with the application process and financial aid procedures when she was considering colleges. "I needed the cultural experiences and personal shaping that Upward Bound provides. Upward Bound serves low-income and/or potential first generation college students, and I fit both categories," she said.

She said the English classes proved helpful time and time again when she was required to write and deliver speeches in classes at Tuskeegee University where she earned a B.S. in psychology in 1993. She later earned an M. Ed. in counseling and guidance from Clemson University. After working at the Anderson Youth Association for three-and-one-half years, she joined Tri-County's staff as a counselor in the Upward Bound program. She left in 1997 to join the UNCC staff.

"Upward Bound was a safe haven for me and was a place I could be me. I developed friendships that I'll have for a lifetime," Ms. Putman told the students.

In June, Upward Bound was awarded $328,724 by the Department of Education for 1999 - 2000. This is the first year of funding for a four-year Upward Bound project which serves 60 low-income and/or potential first generation college students from the 15 area high schools.

Students must meet the U.S. Department of Education economic guidelines and/or be potential first-generation college students (neither parent has a bachelor's degree) to qualify for admission to the program.

According to David Pressley, program coordinator, Upward Bound provides academic programs (primarily on Saturdays) throughout the academic year, along with a summer program. A six-week residential summer component is held, and students are provided room and board at Clemson University. Upward Bound provides intensive instruction in skills, such as reading, public speaking, writing, math, laboratory science, and foreign language, along with academic guidance, career and personal
counseling.

The summer component offers college prep classes during those six weeks, explained Mr. Pressley. "Intensified exposure to these classes will enable students to better perform in the areas of math, science and English during the academic school year. Recent Upward Bound high school graduates can get the experience of college life while taking college level classes, and if they are successful, they can earn six hours of credit that will transfer to the college they will be attending that fall."

TRIO programs consist of Upward Bound, Educational Talent Search, and Student Support Services and are now offered at more than 1,000 colleges and universities and at 100 community agencies.

The following students from tri-county high schools were honored for their outstanding achievements:

Outstanding Achievement in English (Summer 1999) -Jennifer Johnson, of Pendleton, and Stephanie Smith, of Seneca.

Outstanding Achievement in Spanish (Summer 1999) - Jessica Evans, of Easley, and Shannon Spear, of Pendleton.

Outstanding Achievement in Mathematics (Summer 1999) – Ryan Breazeale, of Pickens, and Jennifer Johnson.

Outstanding Achievement in Science (Summer 1999) - Decha Dawson, of Pendleton.

Most Improvement in English (Summer 1999) - Valtrece Rutledge, of Pelzer, and Zakiya Tompkins, of Clemson.

Most Improvement in Spanish (Summer 1999) – Valtrece Rutledge and Victor Hill, of Anderson.

Most Improvement in Mathematics (Summer 1999) -Jessica Evans and Crystal McWhorter, of Seneca.

Most Improvement in Science (Summer 1999) -Zakiya Tompkins and Valtrece Rutledge.

Outstanding Academic Achiever Upward Bound Bridge Component Awards (students taking University Transfer and College Prep classes) - Osborne Allen and Shannon Coleman, both of Williamston; Savetrice Broadus, Aaliyah Carson, Nova Dondero, David Foster, Monica Harris, James Johnson, Lakeisha Mark, Chiquita Morris, and Deneila Sherard, all of Anderson; Lamar Richardson, of Seneca; Jazzman Wideman, of Pendleton; Lakeshia Mackey, of Honea Path; and Tiffany Williams, of Starr.

Upward Bound Student Government Association officers for 1998 -99 were: Chiquita Morris, of Anderson, president; Shannon Spear, of Pendleton, vice president; Celecia Humphrey, of Anderson, secretary; and Monica Harris, of Anderson, treasurer.
-30-