RISE To The Top Southern Miss

Happy FIRST DAY OF CLASSES for our RISE students and all USM students! We look forward to a great semester!

🌟🎤 Our RISE Star Shined at GEWW’s Got Talent! 🖤💛

To wrap up the incredible Golden Eagle Welcome Week experience, RISE student Grant stepped onto the stage during GEWW’s Got Talent and showed the Southern Miss community what he can do! Grant performed on the cajón and earned an incredible 2nd place out of 12 contestants! 🥈👏

We are so proud of Grant for having the confidence and courage to get on stage, share his talent, and fully embrace the Golden Eagle Welcome Week experience. Moments like this are what college is all about — trying something new, getting involved, building confidence, and making memories along the way.

Way to represent RISE, Grant! 🦅🖤💛

Confidence. Courage. RISE To The Top!

🎨🦅 Painting Our Path. Leaving Our Mark. 🖤💛

Our new RISE students kicked off their Southern Miss experience by taking part in one of our favorite Golden Eagle traditions — Painting the Eagle Walk!

From rolling on the gold paint and adding their handprints to meeting Seymour and some of the Southern Miss cheerleaders, they had the opportunity to leave their own mark on a place filled with generations of Southern Miss memories.

For our students, moments like these are about so much more than a tradition. They are about belonging, being included, making memories, and being part of the Southern Miss family. 🖤💛

One Walk. One Eagle Family. One Southern Miss.

RISE Together. Southern Miss To The Top! 🦅✨

What an incredible 2 days this has been welcoming our new Freshmen to the Golden Eagle Family! The past 2 days have been filled with move in, Golden Eagle Welcome Week (GEWW), and meaningful conversations between RISE staff and students. Shout out to our students’ GEWW Crew leaders and Residence Life for making such an impact on our students already. Welcome home 💛🖤!

📣 COME LEARN MORE ABOUT RISE TO THE TOP! 💛🖤

Are you interested in learning more about RISE To The Top! at The University of Southern Mississippi? Join us for one of our upcoming RISE Open Houses!

Whether you want to learn more from home or experience Southern Miss in person, we have two opportunities to connect with us this fall!

💻 VIRTUAL OPEN HOUSE
📅 September 21
⏰ 5:00–6:00 PM

🏫 IN-PERSON OPEN HOUSE
📅 October 12
⏰ 1:00–4:00 PM
📍 The University of Southern Mississippi

Come learn more about RISE To The Top!, USM's 4-year inclusive postsecondary education program for students with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities, and discover what it means to be part of the Southern Miss community! Register by scanning QR Code or visit https://usmforms.formstack.com/forms/riseopenhouse

Congratulations to Ole Miss READY Program students, staff, and mentors on successfully getting through their first year! When one program in Mississippi succeeds, the whole state succeeds!

We are so excited for Ole Miss and we honored to be able to offer guidance along the way. Shout out to our Director, Jerry, and Student Life Coordinator, Camryn, for being willing to go visit and see the READY Program in action!

Welcome to Volume 2, Issue 3 of our RISE To The Top! newsletter! This edition of our newsletter includes end of Spring 2026 updates, highlights, & celebrations! We are close to the beginning of Fall 2026 semester!

July 7-8 was our 2nd annual RISE Summer College Readiness Program. This program introduced potential and incoming students to the RISE To The Top! program and college life through firsthand and educational experiences. Firsthand experiences included a campus tour, an overnight stay in a residential hall, navigation of the campus with on-campus transportation system, participation in a mock college class, on-campus scavenger hunt, and participation in recreational activities at the Payne Center (our staff had to get in on the fun of this activity). Educational experiences included: learning about USM Traditions, essential skills and tips to prepare for the transition to college, differences between high school and college, how to prepare for an inclusive postsecondary education program, and how to navigate disability services in college. Thank you to our staff, Graduate Assistant, volunteers, & USM partners for truly making this an INCREDIBLE experience! Most importantly, thank you to our 8 participants and families for being the most incredible group! We already look forward to next year's Summer College Readiness Program!

Join us in congratulating incoming RISE student, Alyssa, on not only representing Mississippi at the Special Olympics USA Games in Minnesota, but earning 1 gold and 3 silvers in powerlifting. We are so proud of her accomplishments and hard work to get to this moment! Congratulations Alyssa!

Congratulations to our SO College athlete and STEP UP member, Alyssa, on an incredible week at the 2026 Special Olympics USA Games in Minnesota!

Alyssa brought home 1 Gold Medal and 3 Silver Medals, an amazing accomplishment that reflects her hard work and dedication. We are so proud of how you represented Mississippi and Special Olympics with determination, sportsmanship, and a positive attitude.

You deserve these wins, Alyssa! Congratulations, and we are so proud of you! 💛🖤🥇🥈🥈🥈