5 Students from JSC Upward Bound Program Attend Student Leadership Conference

September 29, 2016

Over the Sept. 23-25 weekend, five area high school students in the Upward Bound TRiO program at Johnson State College attended the 2016 New England Student Leadership Conference at the Hulbert Outdoor Center in Fairlee, Vermont.

The five students – Chelsey Jewett and Jenessah Burns (Missisquoi Valley Union High School), Maria Paul (Richford Junior/Senior High School), Paige Palmer (Peoples Academy) and Tanysha Tatro-Sylvestre (Bellows Free Academy) – were selected to attend the conference from more than 15 applicants. They joined more than 50 others students from New England and upstate New York at the conference, all of whom are enrolled in Upward Bound or other federal TRiO programs, which support students who face socio-economic hurdles in their quest to attend college.

The annual conference features a variety of activities and workshops designed to enhance students’ leadership skills. Team-building and risk-taking skills were emphasized in the ropes course, which included elements up to 60 feet high, while learning to compromise and see the “big picture” were the goals of the Eclipse Challenge, in which students gained a firsthand look at how the U.S. budget is produced.

The annual conference connects and promotes friendships among area TRiO students, who share the goal of being the first in their families to earn a four-year college degree. “I went into this conference with the mindset that it was going to be amazing, and it was,” said student Jenessah Burns.

The Upward Bound program at JSC works with students from seven area high schools. The students spend six weeks on campus during the summer, focusing on academics and other success skills for college. Upward Bound staff also work with the students throughout the academic year, meeting with them at their schools during or after the school day to provide continued college and career counseling.

Pictured from left: Chelsey Jewett, Jenessah Burns, Maria Paul, Paige Palmer, Tanysha Tatro-Sylvestre