JWCC TRiO Upward Bound

Last week UB not only had our last required workshop but also our free opportunity for our graduates to get senior photos! 😍
Our workshop we covered professional writing skills such as how to fill out a job application or forming an email to a future professor in college. Raising Cane's catered lunch was an absolute HIT! 👍
Two days later, our beloved alumna Erin Rezba , came back again this spring to capture and edit some stunning shots of our seniors so that they all have some tangible memories of this final chapter of their high school experience. 🎓📸
Thank you so much again, Erin! Please enjoy some sneak peaks of the beautiful pictures she captured as well as some funny BTS with amateur photography assistant, our advisor Hannah 😂🌸

Yesterday we had the pleasure of visiting ISU ! Was wonderful but windy weather, and lots for great information about what a welcoming institution it is especially for first generation college students. Thanks for always being amazing hosts and a special shout out to our student guide, Megan!

Also, peep at our very own UB alumni we ran into as she got out of class! ❤️🖤 it’s always amazing to see our previous students in their new home away from home!

Mark your calendar!!!

UB has been busy lately!
After 3 back to back campus visits AND our quarterly workshop, we wrapped up traveling for the semester with a cultural trip to St. Louis this last Saturday.
Started the day off with Red Robin before touring the Chesterfield Outlet mall, then we headed to the city to make the iconic stop to the Arch, and after that we went to the City Foundry for PuttShack and a delicious dinner at the Food Hall there. To wrap up the long day of activities we walked the Garden Glow at the Missouri Botanical Gardens and WOW! What a display! We definitely enjoyed our trip thoroughly and our students got to see what bigger cities hold if they have the aspirations to move away for college.

Upward Bound is currently recruiting and we would love to have more 9-12th graders join us for all the excitement that next semester holds for our program. 😊

Campus Visits: Part II @ Western Illinois University
Today we had a great opportunity to go to for their Discover Western Preview day. It was definitely special to be there on Veteran’s Day after hearing about the origin of “Leathernecks” and the WIU seal. We also ran into not one, but two UB alumni (AGAIN)! It’s amazing to go on these visits and get to see our amazing students doing so well in college. ☺️
Thank you to the admissions staff as well as ALL the students and departments that made today happen! Also shout out to for taking the time to talk to us about what joining a great organization like yours. 🩷

Campus Visits: Part I @ Quincy University

Last week we had a wonderful time touring and learning what a closer/hometown option for our students! Thank you so much for the admissions staff and financial aid department for all your time and support to Upward Bound. 🤎💛

Dia de los Mu***os education and celebration at today’s workshop! We learned about the holiday, who celebrates it and how we can honor our loved ones! We also discussed the difference between the “dream job” vs having future careers. Today sparked many personal and cultural discussions while we had plenty of fun and yummy food. Speaking of which—HUGE shout out to Quincy’s for hooking us up with a SPREAD! 🤤🤤🤤 Couldn’t get a picture quick enough before our group got to it 🤣

To anyone who needs catering in the area, definitely hit up Pancheros!

Fall is the BEST time for campus visits! 🍂
We kicked off this semester’s college tours at in Jacksonville. It was such a beautiful day to walk such an incredible campus and we thank the admissions staff as well as their AMAZING TRiO SSS program for hosting us and talking to our group.
We even got to catch up with two UB Alumni who are currently IC students and athletes that just began their freshman year of college. Such a fun, packed day! Can’t wait for the next one. 😊

Part #2! Denver 🗻

✔️Dave & Busters
✔️Cheyenne Mountain Zoo
✔️Garden of the Gods
✔️Red Rock Amphitheatre
✔️Adventureland
✔️Elich Gardens
✔️Dinosaur Ridge
✔️Meowwolf
✔️✔️Campus tours of Colorado School of Mines & Denver University

What a great trip with an even greater group! Thank you to Ge**er Tours for orchestrating a great week for our students.

Photo dump #1: Summer program, 2024 edition 🤩

Week 1: Teambuilding, including a cultural trip to Beardstown IL
Week 2-5: Academic/Residential component, where students took classes at John Wood Community College during the day and then spent the evenings & nights at Quincy University in their Friar Hall dorm (Monday-Friday). During these weeks, each day was "themed" with an activity including being a work study for a JWCC department, hearing from speakers (varying from career spotlights to first generation experiences as well as a great presentation by our sister program TRIO Student Support Services), college rec nights (indoor/outdoor), mentor sessions with a designated RA/group, "college survival nights" that covered various topics including college social life and tough questions about transitioning from high school, as well as weekly off campus outings to places such as Rocket Axe, Indian Mounds Pool, Upper Mormon, and Casino Lanes / Casino Starlite.

Week 6 was our trip to Denver, CO and will be uploaded in Part 2 in a separate album!