TRIO Upward Bound is one of the most important programs at Grand Junction High School to prepare students for college.
I’ve been a part of the program for almost a year. It has changed my life in so many ways. I have learned more about myself, what I want to study in college, how to handle money throughout college, and the college experience.
Most importantly, I have made new friends and met trusted adults. I’ve always thought that I could never go to college and step outside of my comfort zone. I now know I could not have been more wrong about that. I have made twice as many friends, and I have joined multiple out-of-school activities that I thought I couldn’t do. I have improved my GPA by a full letter, which made me very happy. I now have a chance to go to my dream college, UCLA (University of California Los Angeles), thanks to the help from TRIO Upward Bound.
The program has helped multiple other students like GJHS junior Donavin Brown. He visited MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) over the fall to see how MIT feels and if he wants to go. It also helped GJHS graduate Camille Dowuona attend her first year at Howard University in Washington, DC. Recently, GJHS senior Terrence Liu, who will graduate this spring, has been selected as a semifinalist for three major full-ride scholarships: the Boettcher (Colorado schools only), the Gates Scholarship, and the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Scholarship.
“I joined TRIO because of the opportunities it gives. It made me more confident in myself; the program really helped me with school tests and my journey. I love TRIO because it’s a connected community and we celebrate each other in the ups and downs,” said Liu.
TRIO Upward Bound has been in Grand Junction for 4 years and is designed to help first-generation, disabilities, and any income-eligible students at GJHS and Central High school, and even at CMU. It helps students succeed in their high school coursework with scheduled events like SAT preparation, talking to successful business owners, visiting college fairs, and many more during the summer. It also helps students build success skills for classes, get involved in other organizations or clubs, and provides support with scholarships and admissions applications.
It’s a supportive and fun group of students who have similar goals, and together they can celebrate each other’s wins and encourage each other when times are hard. Plus, during the summer program, we go on trips to other towns or go to the mountains, do fun activities like movie nights and even rafting, and get students connected to opportunities they may have never heard of before.
“I’m so proud of the students who are a part of the program, especially since it’s been part of the school for only 4 years. I’ve seen many students go to their dream college and succeed there. I’m glad to see students achieve their goals and dreams even when going through hard times. I just hope and see that in the future with the students that join,” said the Director of TRIO Upward Bound, Shelby Burroughs Pryzgoda.
However, the program has recently received sad news. GJHS TRIO advisor Josue Acevedo has been a part of the program for 4 years since it started at GJHS, but this semester, he has decided to leave the program to get out of his own comfort zone in Denver. According to Shelby, Acevedo was a valuable member of our team and helped mentor and support many of the GJHS Upward Bound students since they were freshmen. He helped students build incredible resumes and college applications that have helped them reach impressive heights.
“I think Josue was one of the kindest people I ever got to meet, especially when I had no friends in TRIO when I first joined. Josue made me feel like I was a part of the TRIO family. He didn’t only help with math, he helped with personal, family, and friends’ problems to make things better for me. He was a great person to have in your corner. Now he is leaving, which is sad, but I’m glad he gets to do more for others,” said GJHS senior Chloe Carpenter.
The new GJHS advisor will be Gabby Ward, who will start in February. Gabby went to Colorado Mesa University to study math. She has worked as a tutor for the program at Central High School for two years. From what I’ve seen this school year and over the summer, Gabby is a great person who gets to know her students and helps them in the best way possible.
If you are interested in the program and want to join, you can visit the office in the Library to talk to Shelby and Gabby, or you can apply online through the Colorado Mesa TRIO Upward Bound website.
