New grants mark 35,000 students served since 2002

By Maegan Murray, ���سԹ�

RICHLAND, Wash. – The Washington State University Tri-Cities GEAR UP program is the recipient of two $20 million grants that will support two cohorts of students in their quest to attend college and other post-secondary options.

The program, which stands for Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs, is a federally-funded program that provides academic support for students in middle school through their first year of post-secondary education. Students benefit from college readiness resources, mentorship, advising, professional development, tutoring, and more.

“The ���سԹ� GEAR UP program has been very successful receiving new awards and preparing students for post-secondary opportunities,” said Silvia Clark, ���سԹ� GEAR UP One Vision Partnership director. “I am excited to partner with the same partners we have worked with throughout the last decade and a half. We have enjoyed working with teachers and administrators to make college and post-secondary dreams become a reality for so many students.”

One of the two new grants, the One Vision Partnership grant, totals $20 million and serves 13 middle schools and 13 high schools. The schools are located in the following school districts: Evergreen, Pasco, Kiona Benton, Prosser, Mabton, Finley, Columbia, Clarkston, North Franklin, and Ephrata. The new One Vision Partnership grant marks the first time that the ���سԹ� program will serve the Evergreen School District in Vancouver, Washington.

The other grant, known as the Harvest of Hope, totals $23 million and will serve 14 middle schools and 12 high schools. The schools are located in the following school districts: College Place, Dayton, Kennewick, Moses Lake, Othello, Prescott, Soap Lake, Touchet, Walla Walla and Warden.

For students like Maria Yepez Perez, an undocumented student and the first in her family to attend college, the GEAR UP program provided opportunities to further her future that she never could have imagined.

“GEAR UP not only set me up for success for college, but I was able to grow as a leader, thanks to this program,” she said. “Within the program, I was able to take on leadership roles, which helped me increase speaking in public and be a resource for my community. The staff at GEAR UP were not only our mentors setting us up to apply for colleges and universities, but were also our support system as many of us came from different backgrounds.”

Michelle Parvinen, director of the Harvest of Hope ���سԹ� GEAR UP cohort, said working in the GEAR UP program is incredibly rewarding.

“Upon learning what I do for work, people say, ‘Oh, you have a feel good job,’” she said. “I do. Education is the great equalizer. It is also about opening students’ eyes to opportunities beyond what they see in their community and helping them figure out how they can get there.”

Achieving what was initially perceived as impossible

Yepez Perez came to the United States with her family from Mexico at the age of 9 years old. She said she knew the United States had more opportunities, especially for education, but she had never heard the terms “bachelor’s degree,” “master’s degree” “doctorate,” or “juris doctorate” before. She didn’t know that college was an option.

But bound and determined to get the most of her education, she learned English and excelled in school. In middle school, she connected with GEAR UP, which opened many doors, even as an undocumented student.

“When I first heard about college and universities through GEAR UP, I thought that path was not for me due to my immigration status,” she said. “As I continued to attend meetings, I realized college was for me and I belonged, regardless of my immigration status. It would not be easy, but it was not impossible.”

Rafael De Leon Vela, who currently oversees the Pasco high school sites for GEAR UP, said for many students that would be the first in their family to attend college, and especially for undocumented students, it can be scary to leave home to live and learn miles away. Yepez Perez was no exception. But he was able to work directly with Yepez Perez and her parents to develop plans that would make college obtainable and help break some of the perceived barriers.

“Maria was a young and rising scholar with aspirations to attend WSU,” he said. “Her parents were unsure, but she was capable. I worked them into her plans, sharing resources, introducing them to former students from their neighborhood that attend Chiawana High School, as well as educating them on how to pay for it all … This student went on to earn scholarships, College Assistance Migrant Program dollars and was undocumented. Huge.”

Yepez Perez not only went on to be successful in college, she also returned the favor of working with the ���سԹ� GEAR UP program to help provide support for students just like her. She served as a tutor for GEAR UP’s summer programming.

Yepez Perez recently graduated with her bachelor’s degree from WSU and is now applying to law schools.

“As advice to high school students, be involved in programs like GEAR UP,” she said. “Stay that extra hour after school and join conversations. Even if there is not a seat at the table, bring your own. You will be surprised at the thousands of opportunities that could cross your path. These programs are a privilege to have in high schools. Not every school has a program like GEAR UP.”

Track record of success, even in times of COVID-19

Since its beginnings in 2002, and with the addition of the two new grants, the ���سԹ� GEAR UP program will have served more than 35,000 students.

Services provided through the program range from direct college advising and mentorship, to tutoring and support for academic courses, to extracurricular programming like summer camps, to help with the financial aid application process and other vital supports for college. The program also offers resources and support for parents of students who aim to attend college.

Amid COVID-19, the program has had to switch many of their methods online, providing access to college readiness supports and strategies through Zoom and other virtual platforms.

“Our site managers are amazingly innovative,” Parvinen said. “They have come up with some great strategies to provide virtual resources and support. They have set up their own Google classrooms and participate virtually in classrooms to provide additional support for the teachers and students.”

Connections with the schools make it possible

Of the 20 school districts that GEAR UP currently serves, dozens of school site managers work directly with the local schools and teachers to provide college ready resources, financial aid support, and others that help make college not only possible, but also so that students become champions of their own success.

“Being able to be a part of students’ growth and making those connections beyond the classroom and surface level to establish a relationship where students become successful is the most rewarding,” said Ryan Engel, a GEAR UP site manager at Kamiakin High School.

Engel remembers working with a student who wanted to attend Columbia Basin College. The student was on-track to qualify for a College Bound Scholarship and attend CBC, but then realized he was missing a credit of geometry that he needed in order to graduate. Engel quickly got him connected with a GEAR UP geometry tutor, who was able to help him successfully complete his packet for geometry on-time for him to walk.

“So many people impact our work on a daily basis with students, from the main office at ���سԹ�, to tutors who are generally college students, to our teachers and our administrators,” Engel said. “All of these people work on all levels to allow GEAR UP within their school districts to really create something that is unique and special for all students and families to really take advantage.”

Jennifer Reyes, a GEAR UP site manager of Warden High School in Warden, Washington, said working with GEAR UP has led to many meaningful relationships with students and staff at her school and always leads to something new and exciting. She said she is elated about the future of the ���سԹ� GEAR UP program.

“I am truly lucky to be able to work and connect with so many students with different backgrounds,” she said. “I am excited for all that is to come.”

For more information about GEAR UP and college pathway opportunities through ���سԹ�, visit tricities.wsu.edu/outreach.

By Maegan Murray, ���سԹ�

RICHLAND, Wash. – Doctors, professors, police officers and more were aspirational careers presented by 13 eighth-grade GEAR UP  students this spring during a career showcase evening at Washington State University Tri-Cities.

GEAR UP, which stands for Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Program, is a federally-funded program through the U.S. Department of Education that focuses on helping students prepare for and succeed in high school, higher education and their post-secondary pursuits. At the middle school level, students receive a focus on career exploration, said Michelle Parvinen, program director for GEAR UP programs at ���سԹ�.

Student representatives were selected from area middle schools to present on career paths that they have diligently researched, which were judged by two ���سԹ� professors and a representatives from the STEM Education Program at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.

“Students start by completing interest surveys to get an idea of some of the professions that align with their interests. From there, students are encouraged to dive in to learn everything they can about the career, including educational requirements, educational costs, projected job market and anticipated earning,” Parvinen said. “The WSU GEAR UP 8^th Grade Career Showcase provides the opportunity for students to display their knowledge and earn pries along the way.”

Throughout the evening, students presented on a career, the skills required and preferred, education and experience required for that career, potential colleges they could attend, preparation needed for that career path, the salary, career outlook and other related topics. The students were then judged on their presentations.

Top honors went to Tiana Tran of John Sager Middle School in College Place, Washington, for her presentation of her target career of a family physician. Second place went to Hector Miguel Garcia Lopez, of Prescott Middle School in Prescott, Washington, who presented on the career of neurosurgery. Third place was awarded to Anissa Reyna, of Endeavor Middle School in Moses Lake, Washington, for her presentation on a career as a homicide detective.

For top prize, Tran received a touchscreen Chromebook donated by RGI Corporation, and all three top finishers earned TI Nspire graphing calculators, donated by Texas Instruments.

All competitors also walked away with a backpack, student planner, free admission tickets to The REACH museum, bookmarkers from Barnes and Noble, sandwich coupons from McDonald’s and college swag donated by ���سԹ�, Columbia Basin College, Big Bend Community College and Walla Walla Community College.

All student participants in the showcase included:

• Emmali Johnson, Pioneer Middle School – Walla Walla
• Daniella Nicole Pruneda, Warden Middle School – Warden
• Cecilia Acevedo, Dayton Middle School – Dayton
• Hector Miguel Garcia Lopez, Prescott Middle School – Prescott
• Brayan Orozco, Touchet Middle School – Touchet
• Nesreen Hassan, Park Middle School – Kennewick
• Emerson Schulke, Garrison Middle School – Walla Walla
• Tiana Tran, John Sager Middle School – College Place
• Crystal Bowser, Frontier Middle School – Moses Lake
• Emma Scriven, Chief Moses Middle School – Moses Lake
• Elise Garza, McFarland Middle School – Othello
• Samantha Miranda, Highlands Middle School – Kennewick
• Anissa Reyna, Endeavor Middle School – Moses Lake

By Maegan Murray, ���سԹ�

RICHLAND, Wash. – Student Maria Fernanda Vargas discovered her future career almost by accident after attending Washington State University Tri-Cities while still in high school.

As a senior high school student in the running start program, Vargas was initially interested in nursing, but after performing an internship in the medical field and working in the GEAR UP program and as a student ambassador at ���سԹ�, she realized her true calling lie in helping students achieve their full potential.

“Working with GEAR UP, I was able to assist seniors in high school with their college and financial aid applications. I also gave a few presentations providing more information on important deadlines and scholarships available.” She said. “I realized I love working with students.”

As the first in her family to attend college, Vargas said she had a lot of questions about the college process and procedures where her parents weren’t able to help as much because they hadn’t been through it, themselves.

But through the acceptance, help and support that she experienced as a student at ���سԹ�, she was able to navigate the process successfully.

“One day I hope to give back and make a difference for our future generations,” she said.

As an education student, Vargas said she learned from professors who really take an interest in their students, working with them to make sure they are successful. The opportunities for networking at ���سԹ�, she said, have also been huge.

“Through events like our Etiquette Dinner, where students get to interact with prospective employers, and the career fair, where you can meet a lot of people from out in the community – those events are great for networking,” she said. “And the staff and professors here on campus are also great with connecting students to individuals out in the industry and are always willing to help.”

While Vargas is still young in her education program at ���سԹ�, she said she looks forward to the practicum experiences that she will gain through the program. Through the experiences, Vargas will have the opportunity to work out in local school districts to receive real-world opportunities in the classroom.

In addition to her studies, Vargas also works in the admissions office as a student ambassador and serves as part of the MEChA Club and the Compass Christian Club. She is also a member of the TRIO program, which provides academic and social support for students who are first-generation, economically disadvantaged or have a documented disability.

Her involvement in various student and campus-led initiatives and programs, she said, has made for a wonderfully well-rounded student experience.

“I love it here and if I had a chance to pick a college again, I would make the same choice,” she said. “I feel like we have every resource available for every single student to be successful here at ���سԹ�.”

After graduating the year after next, Vargas hopes to work for the Pasco School District, which is where she grew up going to school. She aims to become a math teacher working with middle school students or with second-grade students – possibly in a bilingual program.

RICHLAND, Wash. – Washington State University Tri-Cities recently received a $11.7 million seven-year GEAR UP grant to prepare students in low-income schools to enter and succeed in post-secondary education.

This award marks the eighth U.S. Department of Education GEAR UP grant received by ���سԹ� since 2002. These awards have helped the university serve more than 30,000 students in middle and high schools in southeastern Washington. Total GEAR UP grant funds received by ���سԹ� now total more than $123 million.

The GEAR UP grant — GEAR UP stands for Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs — will allow for the hiring of nine new salaried staff and a variety of tutors to work with students in middle schools. The goals of the program are to improve academic performance, completion of rigorous courses, knowledge of financial aid and post-secondary education, state exam pass rates, on-time graduation, post-secondary enrollment and freshman retention rates.

“The grant will help raise student awareness and readiness for post-secondary education and career opportunities,” GEAR UP director Chuck Hallsted said. “It will really make a difference in our communities, especially for first generation and underrepresented populations.”

Partnerships with local schools

The new grant, titled the One Vision Partnership, will serve 2,185 students in nine partner districts in Washington: Clarkston, Columbia, Finley, Ephrata, Kiona-Benton, Mabton, Pasco, North Franklin and Prosser.

���سԹ� GEAR UP staff will assist students in the sixth and/or seventh grades and will follow the students through high school and into their first year of post-secondary education to increase their academic success.

Additional resources and support for student success

Students will have access to academic tutoring, mentoring, advising, college trips, career exploration, after-school programs, summer programs, non-academic skills for success and some technology. Professional development will also be available for teachers.

Hallsted said the WSU GEAR UP program also emphasizes collaboration with school administration to ensure an effective team approach and alignment with their educational framework and GEAR UP grant objectives, including advisory board meetings comprised of the partner school superintendents.

Contacts:

• Chuck Hallsted, GEAR UP director, 509-372-7278, challsted@earlyoutreach.wsu.edu
• Maegan Murray, ���سԹ� public relations specialist, 509-372-7333, murray@tricity.wsu.edu