GEAR UP student attends National Youth Leadership Summit

SAD 30 GEAR UP Liaison Emma Irish,
Cassandra Dana, and Tracey Nute

Cassandra Dana of Indian Township, a 2010 graduate of Lee Academy, was selected to participate in the 2010 National Council for Community and Education Partnerships Youth Leadership Summit, which was held in July in Washington, D.C. Her application essay drew parallels between her culture's tradition of basket making and her educational experiences and aspirations. It concluded with, "I hope to be accepted, to better my future, so that one day I can give back to my people, the Passamaquoddy Tribe."

Of more than 390 applicants, Dana was one of 32 high school students nationwide selected to take part in the summit, which included an all-expenses-paid trip to the National GEAR UP conference. GEAR UP stands for Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs.

While at the conference Dana worked with other scholars to compile a summit report focused on what educators should consider as they design strategies and programs for increasing student achievement.

Dana is a member of the National Honor Society and the Lee Academy Community Service Club. She graduated from Lee Academy with high honors on June 5, 2010 and plans to attend the University of Maine in Orono in the fall majoring in Journalism. Cassandra is the daughter of Nicholas Dana and Annette Dana of Indian Township.

Congratulations, Cassandra from all of us at GEAR UP!

Download conference materials and see session info at News>Events

Photos from the Conference:

Mt. Abram student attends GEAR UP Youth Leadership Summit

Brianna Thorndike

Brianna Thorndike, a ‘09 graduate from Mt. Abram High School, and thirty of her peers from across the country, were selected to participate in the Youth Leadership Conference (YLS) which took place at the national GEAR UP Annual Conference in San Francisco, California this July.  The students' mission at YLS was to identify issues in their schools that prevent many students from going on to higher education, and to propose solutions for these barriers. They broke into four groups, and each group focused on one of the following topics: Individual Determination, Outside Influences, Family/Life Obstacles and School Environments. Their findings and ideas were compiled in a written report and presented to the two thousand conference participants.  Brianna played the role of the "expert" in their well-planned talkshow format skit, and she even received a standing ovation!
 
She was most animated when speaking about the other students she met at the conference. The students came from different GEAR UP programs nationwide, and many, like Brianna, had never been on a plane before.  They all participated in group-building activities, and Brianna said, “if we hadn’t opened up and felt comfortable with each other we wouldn’t have accomplished all the work that we did.”  So are they keeping in touch?  Definitely!  “We’re all on facebook, and I get text messages from them all the time.”
 
She said their work together was meaningful because, “we not only identified the problems but found solutions for them. I think that if all of us take back what we learned, we could really make a difference. It may just start in our schools or our communities, but if we do this every year and if we make a difference in even just the lives of those kids things will really change. I plan to start a leadership group when I get to college, and I also want to go back to my high school and share what I learned with everyone there.”

GEAR UP Graduate Will West

Will West

The Maine Department of Education’s GEAR UP program serves over 3000 students grades 7-12 in 20 SAUs across the state. With $18 million dollars over six years from the US Department of Education’s Office of Postsecondary Education, the Maine State GEAR UP project is working to ensure students from low income backgrounds aspire to, are prepared for, and succeed in college. The Maine Support Network is administering the project for the Department.

“Clear-minded,” “straightforward,” and “perceptive” popped into the mind of GEAR UP representative Joshua Kierstead (an AmeriCorps*VISTA member supporting GEAR UP this year and the son of long time DOE staffer John Kierstead) as he interviewed Will West, a UMO senior and GEAR UP scholarship recipient. In January, Kierstead traveled to UMO to interview West as part of a project to document the stories and experiences of former GEAR UP students in podcast form. Their conversation covers many pertinent—but wholly personal—issues surrounding economically disadvantaged students and higher education. Included is West’s perspective on his college experiences and the unique challenges facing economically disadvantaged students.

West identified literacy as the most pressing issue facing economically disadvantaged students. In himself, he recognized this gap in verbal skills during high school. When asked how he recommends students overcome this barrier he said, “I think reading helps a lot. The more you read… the better.” Following this topic, he shared some highlights of his college experience, including starting a photography club, one of numerous experiences he’s having in college where “the learning experience goes beyond the classroom.” As a first generation college student, West ended with a thank you to the GEAR UP program for its direction and support. He felt that the program made him recognize that college was a possibility, and it ultimately provided him with the financial assistance to continue his education.

West’s sincerity and candidness made his interview a standout and a clear pick for Kierstead’s first official podcast episode. In the final year of his undergraduate career, West’s next step will be graduate school this fall in the area of zoology. GEAR UP thanks Will West for his openness and wishes him continued success in his quest for lifelong learning.

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