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MUJ NEWS 5.3January 2010

Mentoring it Forward: UMKC students encourage teens to consider higher educationby Laura Byerley, Senior Relations Specialist

The School of Nursing showed high school students medical procedures via the METI man - a simulated patient that mimics real-life conditions, reactions and emergencies.

Benita Jones knows what it’s like to go to an inner-city high school where academic excellence and encouraging mentors are sometimes few and far between. She also knows how much of a difference one mentor can make.

That is why the junior graphic design and art education major decided to mentor students through the University of Missouri-Kansas City’s Talented 30! program. Designed to support low-income

Kansas City-area youth who have been historically underrepresented in higher education, the free program focuses on leadership development, educational opportunity and access, and goal-setting. The United Services Community Action Agency supplied a one-year grant for UMKC to create the program.

In the summer of 2009, the program invited 30 area high school students to UMKC. Before joining Talented 30!, the students had participated in P.A.V.E. the Way (Project Assets and Values in Education) – another United Services Community Action Agency program that encourages low-income high school students to reach beyond their current circumstances.

The Talented 30! program began with a campus tour and featured modules on leadership development, positive attitudes, social justice, environmental justice, financial aid, writing, dance, and healthcare. Throughout the three-week program, students developed their own style of leadership through a social justice lens by focusing on the teachings of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, Ida B. Wells, and Cornel West.

While UMKC faculty led educational modules, undergraduate and graduate students with leadership and social justice experience volunteered as program mentors. The mentors talked with students about goal-setting, their paths to UMKC, and college life.

“I always excelled in school, and I was involved in almost every extracurricular activity, but the idea of college wasn’t for me,” said Jones. “But with my mentor and my motivational parents, I decided to pursue a higher education. There are so many children out there who lack the confidence they need to push them to

success, so as a mentor I help build it.”Ashley Burress, a third-year pharmacy student,

volunteered for the program because she wanted to encourage high school students from the urban core to pursue a higher education. Since the program began two weeks ago, Burress said she has seen tremendous changes in the students.

“They’re more positive, and they’re paying more attention now,” said Burress. “Many had asked questions in regard to college, and they think it’s amazing to see college programs. I hope this experience lets them know there’s always something better, and that they can become who they want to be.”

Like Burress, Jones said she’s seen major changes in the high school students. “They want to participate more than they did last week,” Jones said. “This is bringing out the best in them. I hope they always have positive mentors.”

In line with the program’s social justice mission, the Department of Geosciences provided environmental science activities with an environmental justice component. Students engaged in water, soil, and air quality experiments and learned about new careers in urban environmentalism that could enhance a community’s long-term health outlook. For example, participants discussed the disproportionate allocation of waste in

Students conduct experiments in the Department of Geosciences.

low-income neighborhoods and the effects of those pollutants on individual and community health. They also discussed practical ways for students to improve their communities.

Because these students have grown up in low-income neighborhoods, they will add important insights into social justice discussions, according to Kristi Ryujin, Director of Diversity Initiatives for the UMKC Division of Diversity, Access & Equity. “They might be more passionate about it if they’ve had to go through muck and mire every day,” Ryujin said. “They might have creative ideas to avoid getting ill, and this will indeed enhance the intellectual and academic experience of all students and faculty. It makes for a better university.”

Despite the program’s serious purpose, students still had fun. The School of Nursing simulation lab’s robotic “patients” provided one such opportunity. After explaining how a robotic pregnant “patient” reacts to medication and produces blood and urine, the instructor explained that she could speak through a machine to simulate the patient speaking.

“Make her throw up!” one of the students said. Not to disappoint, the instructor made a groaning sound and the students erupted into laughter.

Keitha Boston, a senior Ruskin High School student, thought the program was a fun way to spend the summer. “It was fun to meet new people instead of sitting at home,” said Boston, who is starting to consider a higher education. “I enjoyed learning ballet and writing because I got to express my own ideas.”

Thanks to the University of Missouri-Kansas City

Students participate in a dance module at the Conservatory of Music and Dance

Dr. David Barnard

CSU Sophomore Closing in on A Dream: Following and Setting A Fine Example by Shernay Williams

Tynae Quince, a CSU sophomore and Management Science Major, earned the highest GPA in her college-prep program.

After spending years as a struggling parent, Gloria Lewis began to instill the value of a higher education in the minds of her children. She set an example for them by pursuing her own postsecondary degree while continuing her full-time job. Now her daughter, Tynae Quince, is making her proud: Quince maintained the highest GPA in her college-prep program; she is now a studious, hardworking sophomore at Coppin State University (CSU); and Quince authored an article in July

citing her mother as a prime source for her success. At age 19, Tynae Quince dreamed of opening a chain of hair salons. To get her start, she enrolled at Mergenthaler Vocational-Technical Senior High School with a concentration in cosmetology. As a freshman at Mergenthaler, she met Jamie Tang.

Tang, a program specialist with the Baltimore-based CollegeBound Foundation, encouraged Quince to pursue an advanced degree and guided her through her high school years. CollegeBound is an independent, nonprofit program that seeks to increase the number of Baltimore City students that pursue postsecondary education.

The encouragement of Quince’s mother, the guidance of Tang, scholarships, the close proximity to home, and the nurturing appeal of an HBCU prompted Quince to choose Coppin State where she is a management science major. Quince believes her major will provide the foundation for making her dream of ownership of a chain of hair salons a reality. “I pretty much dream of owning everything myself so taking management science classes is going to lead me to my goal,” she says.

Her mother’s support and Tang’s guidance led Quince to earn a 4.0 grade point average the first semester of her freshman year, the highest GPA of any student in Quince’s 2008 CollegeBound class. She finished her freshman year with a cumulative average of 3.4.

“She was a good high school student, but she has really shined in college,” said Tang. “She has demonstrated superior time management skills by balancing her lessons with working 20 hours a week.

Tang now serves as Quince’s retention specialist and will continue to advise her throughout her collegiate career.

In her sophomore year, Quince says she is eager to show her school spirit; she wants to become more active in extra-curricular activities and campus events. “I’m looking to pledge a sorority and…to be [in] the choir. I was [in] the choir in high school.”

As the middle sister to eight brothers and sisters, Quince encourages her younger siblings, explaining that college is the only option and pointing to her mother as a prime example.

Thanks to: Ursula V. Battle Director Office of University Relations Coppin State University

Successful Legislative Internship Earns Scholarship for Student by Cindy Carroll

Matthew Kimsey and Governor Phil Bredesen

Students from The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga who are interested in the political process apply annually to become interns with the Tennessee state legislature. While this year’s application process recently closed and students who applied anxiously await the selection announcement, one former intern, Matthew Kimsey of Martin, Tennessee, has benefited from his positive experience as an intern in spring 2009.

Named one of two recipients to receive a scholarship from the

Tennessee Lobbyists Association, Kimsey’s collegiate extracurricular activities and professionalism among his intern peers earned him the award. He has served as a member of several administrative committees and he has been a resident assistant for UTC housing.

Kimsey was placed in the office of House Representative Susan Lynn of District 57, Mt. Juliet, who was named the Chair of the House Government Operations Committee. Lynn acknowledged Kimsey on the House floor as the recipient of the Tennessee Lobbyists Association’s House Scholarship.

“During my experience working for the Government Operations Committee and Rep. Lynn, I quickly learned about our state government and its unique structure,” Kimsey said.

Kimsey, who is majoring in history (pre-law) with a minor in political science, was elected governor of the 106 Intern General Assembly. “Each session, the intern class holds a mock session where they elect their own officers and present their own bills and resolutions,” Kimsey said. “I took the opportunity to run for the office of governor.”

Kimsey also enjoyed meeting Reps. Gerald McCormick and Jim Cobb, and Senators Bo Watson and Andy Berke from the Chattanooga area.

Thanks to: Cindy CarrollAssistant Director

Office of University RelationsThe University of Tennessee at Chattanooga

From the floor with scholarship award-- Rep. Susan Lynn, Nathan Ridley from the Lobbyists Association, Kimsey, and Kimsey’s state representative, Rep. Mark Maddox Fourth

Kimsey and the Intern Speaker Jimmy Richardson

16 Year-Old Jessica Njong Joins Coppin State University:A Young Mind with Big Dreamsby Mary-Ann Dogo-Isonagie

16 year-old Jessica plans to graduate in three years at age 20.

Typically most students in the United States graduate from high school when they are about 18 years old. But 16-year-old Jessica Njong, is already a freshman at Coppin State University. “I always told my daughter that if she wants to be successful in life, she has to work extremely hard,” said her father, Jude Njong. According to her family, as a toddler Njong always demonstrated the zeal to learn and she began her journey into the world of education

at age two. Her parents, Jude and Ruth Njong, enrolled their daughter into the Early Learning Developmental Center. According to its Web site, the center is a private preschool and childcare institution located in Silver Spring, Maryland, that provides high quality care and education to young children in an affectionate and nurturing environment. “By the time Jessica entered kindergarten…she was far more advanced than her peers,” Mr. Njong said. Mr. Njong’s inspirational story of coming out of a small town in Cameroon, West Africa, continues to inspire and motivate his daughter to dream big and work hard. “To ensure that my daughter understood my upbringing and culture, I took her back to my hometown of Cameroon in hopes of exposing her to my culture and lifestyle,” he said. “Her experience witnessing fellow age mates provide for their families was an added motivation and inspiration for her to work hard and achieve success.” Njong attended Albert Einstein High School, a public school located in Kensington, Maryland, and the International Baccalaureate (IB) Academy, a challenging liberal arts program for highly motivated students designed with a common worldwide curriculum in preparation for higher learning. When Njong’s family moved to Silver Spring, Maryland, she attended Springbrook High School and completed grades 11 and 12 in one year, graduating at age 16. An avid photographer, Jessica enjoys capturing live sports, portraits, and landscapes, and some of her photographs have been recognized nationally. In 2007, the Antoinette WestPhal College of Media Arts and Design located on the Drexel University campus in Drexel, Philadelphia held their annual high school photography contest. Out of the 2,300 photographs that were entered, 136 were chosen to be exhibited. Jessica’s photographs were among those selected. In 2009, Jessica won a gold medal in the NAACP ACT-SO photography competition and also represented Maryland in the nationals in New York.

Although Jessica was also accepted into other universities across the nation, her decision to attend Coppin was sealed at the 2009 NAACP ACT-SO competition in New York after meeting the university’s admissions representatives Michelle Gross, Director of the Office of Admissions, and Katrissa Warfield, an admissions counselor in the Office of Admissions. “When I met Ms. Gross and Ms. Warfield in New York, they were very welcoming and cordial,” said Jessica. “Their description of Coppin seemed to match my future goals and plans. I also learned about the incredible Student Support Services that are made available to students on campus in addition to the friendly staff and faculty.” For their part, Gross said, “While observing hundreds of high school students at the NAACP ACT-SO competition in Manhattan, New York, Jessica quietly but deliberately grabbed my attention. She was focused, anxious, and rather excited about pursuing a college career. I believe persistence and [determination] are among the strengths that will help Jessica be successful.” Jessica, whose long term goal is to become a police detective, plans to declare her major in criminal justice in the spring. As for the future, Jessica plans to finish college the way she started—early. Her goal is to graduate in three years at age 20.

Thanks to: Ursula V. Battle Director Office of University Relations Coppin State University

Jessica plans to declare her major in Criminal Justice in the spring.

EPI Announces 2009 Retention Award Winners: Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI), Robert Morris University, and Seneca College

Stuart SumidaCSUSB Professor of Biology

VIRGINIA BEACH, VA —June 8, 2009 —The Educational Policy Institute (EPI), a non-profit educational research organization, announced the 2009 winners of the Outstanding Student Retention Program Award at the Retention 2009 conference in New Orleans on May 27. This year’s recipients are Indiana University – Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI), Robert Morris University, and Seneca College, three institutions that have shown excellence in the development and implementation of their student retention program. Retention programs utilize a combination of academic and social factors to help students, especially those who are at-risk, to succeed at the two-, four-, and proprietary levels. “These three institutions are leading the way for other institutions of higher education to focus on student success,” said Watson Scott Swail, president of the Educational Policy Institute, at today’s presentation. “We hope that acknowledging the excellence of these and other institutions at our Retention 2009 International Conference on Student Retention will provide an opportunity for higher education leaders and practitioners to learn via the experience of others.” Gayle Williams, Assistant Dean for Academic Programs, supported by Michele Hansen, Director of Assessment, and Lauren Chism, Director of Themed Learning Communities, leads the IUPUI’s Summer Academy Bridge Program/Themed Learning Communities Joint Initiative. The Summer Academy Bridge program, which began in 2001 with 18 students, served over 500 students last summer, representing approximately one-fifth of the entering freshmen class. Since the beginning, Bridge participants at IUPUI have moved into linked learning community first-year seminars for their fall semester. The Themed Learning Communities (TLC) program is composed of 3 or more linked courses, including an integrative first year seminar connected through an interdisciplinary theme. In 2007, 57% of the Bridge students enrolled in Themed Learning Communities (TLCs), and the remainder enrolled in IUPUI’s traditional learning community sections. All include a first-year seminar course. Annual retention, GPA, and satisfaction assessment results have always indicated that students who enroll in both the Bridge Program and the TLCs are more likely to be retained, to be academically successful, and to feel positive about their experiences at IUPUI. Robert Morris University’s Ron Arnold, Vice President for Business Affairs, and Lauren Miller, Director, First Year Experience, lead a highly successful retention program that at its heart has an intrusive advising approach that supports students as they make the transition into college and matriculate through graduation. This intrusive approach initiates early contact and helps students develop plans for academic and social improvement. As student

IUPUI’s Gayle Williams receiving the 2009 Outstanding Retention Program Award from EPI Vice President Patricia Moore Shaffer.

populations have changed over time, intrusive advising has been developed to create relationships that involve shared responsibility, proactive interactions to meet student goals, and encouragement. While the University had utilized faculty advisors up until the 1990s, the growing need for greater academic support encouraged the institution to adopt in 2000 an academic student advisor position, which has allowed a stronger focus on addressing the challenges that can interfere with students abilities to continue with their education. Since many of the students’ needs expand beyond the academic, student advisors are cross-trained in basic financial aid and career services/internship information. This academic advising program, coupled with a First-Year Experience program and career advising, has helped Robert Morris University become a leader in graduating students of color. Seneca College’s Steve Fishman, directs SUCCESS@Seneca, a program that engages the college community and encourages a culture that reflects a sense of connection and pride. Now in its fourth year, SUCCESS@Seneca incorporates the following components: a) an extensive and extended orientation program; b) an interactive and informative online ‘success’ portal; c) a series of success workshops and social networking opportunities; and d) ongoing connection with a College Coach. Through these components, students are engaged, supported, and motivated to persist and achieve in academic, career and personal life tasks. A vast number of individual college employees who work as support staff, faculty and administrators participate as College Coaches and as workshop facilitators in orientation and throughout

the school year. Also, integral to this initiative, SUCCESS@Seneca includes a number of college services and resources such as financial aid, academic departments, counseling and career services, tutoring services, and student affairs. Institutional research data consistently indicates that students who participate in the program are more likely to persist in their college studies and achieve at higher academic levels. The Outstanding Retention Program Award has been administered by EPI since 2006. Past winners include Oklahoma City University and Texas A&M University (2008), Youngstown State University (2007), and the University of Connecticut (2006). Retention 2010 will take place June 7-9, 2010 in Chicago, Illinois.

For more information: Patricia Moore Shaffer, pshaffer@educationalpolicy.org

Robert Morris University’s Ron Arnold, Vice President for Business Affairs, receiving the 2009 Outstanding Retention Program Award from EPI President Watson Scott Swail.

Seneca College’s Steve Fishman, also a three-time Retention Conference attendee, doing his Stanley Cup hoist as he celebrates Seneca’s acknowledgement as a 2009 Outstanding Retention Program Awardee.