https://www.uwlax.edu/news/posts/Campus ConnectionPosts tagged with 'Upward Bound':2022-12-02T13:15:32.977Zhttps://www.uwlax.edu/news/posts/motivational-mentor/Motivational mentor2022-12-02T13:15:32.977Z2022-12-02T08:04:00ZKyle Farrishttps://uwlax.edu/profile/kfarris/kfarris@uwlax.edu
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<p class="date"><span class="label">Posted </span><span data-part="time">8:04 a.m.</span><span data-part="weekday"><span> </span>Friday</span><span data-part="month"><span>, </span>Dec.</span><span data-part="day"><span> </span>2</span><span data-part="year"><span>, </span>2022</span></p>
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<figcaption>Jazzma Holland, interim assistant director for student leadership in the Office of Multicultural Student Services, is UWL's recipient of the UW System Outstanding Women of Color in Education Award. “I do this work because I love our students and the work that we do," Holland says.</figcaption>
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<h3 class="tagline">Jazzma Holland wins Outstanding Women of Color in Education Award </h3>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">Jazzma Holland has grown personally and professionally during her time at UW-La Crosse.</span><span data-ccp-props="{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:0,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}">&nbsp;</span></p><p><span data-contrast="auto">Now, in her role as interim assistant director for student leadership in the Office of Multicultural Student Services (OMSS), she is helping students blossom as well.</span><span data-ccp-props="{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:0,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}">&nbsp;</span></p><p><span data-contrast="auto">For her efforts, Holland was recently selected as UWL’s recipient of the UW System Outstanding Women of Color in Education Award. The award is given annually to faculty, staff, students or community members who have helped advance equity and inclusion for people of color in UW System, as well as in communities across the state.</span><span data-ccp-props="{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:0,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}">&nbsp;</span></p><p><span data-contrast="none">“This is a true honor, and to be honest, a little shocking,” says Holland, ’15 &amp; ’21. “I do this work because I love our students and the work that we do. I don't do this work for recognition. The students and their success are what motivate me on a daily basis. They have so much to give and to show, and I love being their cheerleader, motivating them to keep going, because they deserve to meet their goals.”</span><span data-ccp-props="{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559685&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}">&nbsp;</span></p><p><br data-mce-bogus="1"></p>
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<figcaption>Jazzma Holland</figcaption>
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<p><span data-contrast="auto">Holland, originally from Milwaukee, holds a bachelor’s degree in communication studies, with an emphasis in organizational and professional communication. She recently went back to earn her master’s degree in student affairs administration.</span><span data-ccp-props="{">&nbsp;</span></p><p><span data-contrast="auto">Her experiences at UWL — as both a student and an employee — have been deeply impactful.</span><span data-ccp-props="{">&nbsp;</span></p><p><span data-contrast="none">“UWL has taught me how to share my voice with my community, whether that is on campus or in the community,” she says. “This isn't just my journey — this is our journey. And we should be there to lift one another up and help where we can, however we can.”</span><span data-ccp-props="{">&nbsp;</span></p><p><span data-contrast="auto">After her undergraduate studies, Holland held a number of positions at UWL, including administrator of the COVE (Center of Organizations, Vision &amp; Engagement) and assistant director and later director of Upward Bound.</span><span data-ccp-props="{">&nbsp;</span></p><p><span data-contrast="auto">In September, she began her current role with OMSS, where she helps oversee and support UWL’s eight multicultural student organizations. Holland leads workshops on campus resources, organizes the annual multicultural leadership retreat and assists student leaders in event planning.</span><span data-ccp-props="{">&nbsp;</span></p><p><span data-contrast="none">“I enjoy seeing the students learn, grow and find their voice,” she notes. “It is always exciting to see our students working hard to go after their goals. I love being an ear for them as well as advocate and an advisor.”</span><span data-ccp-props="{">&nbsp;</span></p><p><span data-contrast="none">Holland’s proudest achievements during her time at UWL have nothing to do with individual accolades and everything to do with supporting others’ success.</span><span data-ccp-props="{">&nbsp;</span></p><p><span data-contrast="none">They include:</span><span data-ccp-props="{">&nbsp;</span></p><ul><li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="4" data-list-defn-props="{" aria-setsize="-1" data-aria-posinset="1" data-aria-level="1"><span data-contrast="none">Helping all Upward Bound seniors get accepted into their college of choice this spring</span></li><li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="4" data-list-defn-props="{" aria-setsize="-1" data-aria-posinset="1" data-aria-level="1">Organizing the Multicultural Development Leadership Weekend this fall — a chance for UWL students to connect through team-building exercises and outdoor activities<span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;" data-ccp-props="{" data-mce-style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;"> </span></li><li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="4" data-list-defn-props="{" aria-setsize="-1" data-aria-posinset="1" data-aria-level="1">Ensuring Upward Bound students were supported during COVID-19, in the form of weekly care packages filled with materials for their online classes, as well as games, books and recipes.<span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;" data-ccp-props="{" data-mce-style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">&nbsp;</span></li></ul><p><span data-contrast="none">The work is rarely, if ever, easy. But Holland, who benefited from programs like Upward Bound when she was a student, says it’s critical for young people of color to have strong role models and support systems.</span><span data-ccp-props="{">&nbsp;</span></p><p><span data-contrast="none">“Representation matters. When you see someone like you in a space where you are the minority, it matters. It shows you that you are not the only one and that you are not alone,” she says. “That is why I enjoy having the opportunity to be on the ground, being able to speak directly to our students. I get the chance to know them, and they get the chance to know me. Through that, we all realize that we are not much different, and we can offer each other the support that we need.”</span><span data-ccp-props="{">&nbsp;</span></p>
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<img loading="lazy" src="/contentassets/d2492d337f8a4841b98d59100cb0f8ab/jazzma-holland.jpg/Medium" alt="Jazzma Holland, interim assistant director for student leadership in the Office of Multicultural Student Services, is UWL's recipient of the UW System Outstanding Women of Color in Education Award. “I do this work because I love our students and the work that we do," Holland says." />
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<span class="title">Motivational mentor</span>
<span class="date"><span class="label">Posted </span><span data-part="time">8:04 a.m.</span><span data-part="weekday"><span> </span>Friday</span><span data-part="month"><span>, </span>Dec.</span><span data-part="day"><span> </span>2</span><span data-part="year"><span>, </span>2022</span></span>
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Jazzma Holland wins Outstanding Women of Color in Education Award
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</span>https://www.uwlax.edu/news/posts/an-honor-i-didnt-expect/‘An honor I didn’t expect’2022-03-10T09:37:44.34Z2021-11-30T16:37:00ZNhouchee Yanghttps://uwlax.edu/profile/nyang2/nyang2@uwlax.edu
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<p class="date"><span class="label">Posted </span><span data-part="time">4:37 p.m.</span><span data-part="weekday"><span> </span>Tuesday</span><span data-part="month"><span>, </span>Nov.</span><span data-part="day"><span> </span>30</span><span data-part="year"><span>, </span>2021</span></p>
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<figcaption>Edith Ben-Eboh, a junior majoring in public health and community health education, recently received the UWL Student Association's Women of Color Scholarship. “I’m happy someone saw something in me and felt I deserved this," she says.</figcaption>
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<h3>Edith Ben-Eboh recognized for academics, community involvement</h3>
<p>Culture shock.</p><p>That’s what Edith Ben-Eboh felt when she came to UW-La Crosse — an international student from Nigeria visiting the United States for the first time.</p><p>She had never seen snow. She was used to different foods and a vastly different lifestyle. Most of all, she worried that she would struggle to understand her professors, and that others would struggle to understand her.</p><p>Now in her junior year, Ben-Eboh has not only found her footing at UWL and in the community — she has begun to flourish.</p><p>Her success as a student and contributions as a community member were recently recognized by the UWL Student Association, which awarded her its Women of Color Scholarship in spring 2021.</p><p>“It felt like an honor I didn’t expect,” says <a data-mce-href="/health-education-and-health-promotion/undergrad/public-health-and-community-health-education-major/" href="/health-education-and-health-promotion/undergrad/public-health-and-community-health-education-major/">Ben-Eboh, who is majoring in public health and community health education</a>. “I’m happy someone saw something in me and felt I deserved this.”</p><p>After graduating high school at 16 — which is customary in Nigeria — Ben-Eboh knew she wanted to go into the care service industry.</p><p>Her siblings had attended college in Chicago, which convinced her that a Midwest school might be a good fit.</p><p>She found UW-La Crosse and soon decided on a public health major, a discipline that satisfies her interests in health care and community service.</p><p>“I love learning about what systems are in place to make sure communities are healthy and people are better not just physically, but mentally, sexually and environmentally,” she says. “Science is very systematic, but I like public health because you get to see the emotional and human aspect of it. I want to be in touch with my community and help in any way I can.”</p><p>Ben-Eboh’s desire to help others can also be seen in her work with <a data-mce-href="/upward-bound/" href="/upward-bound/">Upward Bound</a>, UWL’s federally funded TRIO program supporting high school students transitioning to college.</p><p>Beginning her sophomore year, Ben-Eboh has been a tutor and mentor with Upward Bound, helping prospective college students realize their potential.</p><p>She also serves as a resident assistant in Reuter Hall and has worked as an advisor for <a data-mce-href="/university-centers/orgs/lic/" href="/university-centers/orgs/lic/">UWL’s Leadership &amp; Involvement Center</a>.</p><p>The more time she has spent in the La Crosse area, the more she has been able to find and share the culture she left in Nigeria.</p><p>She has connected with several Nigerians living in the Coulee Region and has discussed Nigerian culture and traditions during annual Global Initiatives Week programming on campus.</p><p>“I’m not always the emotional type, but I do miss (home) from time to time,” she says. “If I wanted to go home for the weekend, I don’t have that option.”</p><p>After earning her bachelor’s degree, Ben-Eboh plans to take a gap year before attending medical school in the United States.</p><p>She hopes to continue serving the community wherever her future career takes her.</p><p><strong>About the scholarship</strong></p><p>The Student Association’s Women of Color Scholarship was established during the 2017-18 academic year.</p><p>It is supported through Student Association fundraisers, but can also be supported through private donations. Recipients are awarded a $1,000 scholarship.</p><p>To be eligible, a student must:</p><ul><li>Be enrolled full time</li><li>Be in good academic standing with an above-average GPA</li><li>Be an incoming first-year student, sophomore, junior, senior or graduate student</li><li>Be a female-identifying student of color.</li></ul><p>To donate to the scholarship fund, <a href="https://www.uwlax.edu/foundation/?fund=151510-0" data-mce-href="/foundation/?fund=151510-0">click here</a>, select “other” in the drop-down menu and type “Student Association Women of Color Scholarship” in the fund designation box.</p><p><a data-mce-href="/alumni/lantern/?tag=December+2021" href="/alumni/lantern/?tag=December+2021" data-mce-selected="inline-boundary">Read more stories from the December eLantern.</a></p><p><br><br></p>
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<img loading="lazy" src="/contentassets/d2492d337f8a4841b98d59100cb0f8ab/testing/2021_uwl_edith_ben-eboh_student_association_swomen_of_color_scholarship_0045.jpg/Medium" alt="Edith Ben-Eboh, a junior majoring in public health and community health education, recently received the UWL Student Association's Women of Color Scholarship. “I’m happy someone saw something in me and felt I deserved this," she says." />
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<span class="title">‘An honor I didn’t expect’</span>
<span class="date"><span class="label">Posted </span><span data-part="time">4:37 p.m.</span><span data-part="weekday"><span> </span>Tuesday</span><span data-part="month"><span>, </span>Nov.</span><span data-part="day"><span> </span>30</span><span data-part="year"><span>, </span>2021</span></span>
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Edith Ben-Eboh recognized for academics, community involvement
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</span>https://www.uwlax.edu/news/posts/a-worthy-celebration/A worthy celebration2022-01-12T10:07:56.89Z2021-10-29T10:07:00ZBritney Heinemanhttps://uwlax.edu/profile/bheineman/bheineman@uwlax.edu
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<p class="date"><span class="label">Posted </span><span data-part="time">10:07 a.m.</span><span data-part="weekday"><span> </span>Friday</span><span data-part="month"><span>, </span>Oct.</span><span data-part="day"><span> </span>29</span><span data-part="year"><span>, </span>2021</span></p>
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<figcaption>First-generation students — 27% of UWL undergraduates — bring many desirable attributes to campus. First generation students, faculty and staff can visit the Student Union between 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Monday, Nov. 8, to pick up a first-generation sticker and snacks. Students can learn more about the many resources available at UWL.</figcaption>
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<h3>First-generation students recognized Monday, Nov. 8</h3>
<p>College can be challenging. Add in being the first in the family to go off to college and it can even be more demanding.</p><p>That’s why it’s important to recognize the National First Generation College Celebration on Monday, Nov. 8, says <a data-mce-href="/profile/snarcotta-welp/" href="/profile/snarcotta-welp/">Stacy Narcotta-Welp, director of UW-La Crosse’s Student Support Services</a>.&nbsp; “First generation students make up a vital part of our campus,” she notes.</p><p>UWL’s TRIO programs — <a data-mce-href="/upward-bound/" href="/upward-bound/">Upward Bound</a>, <a data-mce-href="/mcnair-scholars/" href="/mcnair-scholars/">McNair Scholars</a> and <a data-mce-href="/student-support-services/" href="/student-support-services/" data-mce-selected="inline-boundary">Student Support Services</a> — will support the Nov. 8 annual celebration. Its roots date&nbsp;back to 1965 when the Higher Education Act was passed and signed into law. The act makes college pathways more accessible to first-generation students via federally-funded TRIO programs and a variety of other initiatives.</p><p>Narcotta-Welp says personal experiences with students and national research suggest that first-generation students — 27% of UWL undergraduates — bring many desirable attributes to college campuses, such as:</p><ul><li>Strength and perseverance&nbsp;</li><li>Lots of “lived experiences” to learn from and apply in various situations&nbsp;</li><li>An ability to navigate systems, once becoming familiar with them&nbsp;</li><li>Diversity of a deeper educational experience, in and outside the classroom&nbsp;</li><li>A strong desire to create a more equitable world and give back to their communities.</li></ul><p>Staff in UWL’s TRIO programs and others on campus don’t want to see those benefits squelched in first-generation students.</p><p>“First-generation students may feel less of a sense of belonging at institutions of higher education,” Narcotta-Welp explains. “They may not be as confident when navigating campus, and they have concerns about affording tuition and housing. They may also be more apprehensive about reaching out for resources and help on campus.”&nbsp;</p><p>Narcotta-Welp says first-generation students may also have greater family, work and off-campus demands.</p><p>“This makes it difficult to balance academic and co-curricular requirements associated with graduation and future success,” she notes.</p><p>To help first-generation students, various initiatives are available on campus — some geared directly toward them, while others are for all students. Among them:</p><ul><li>UWL First Scholars / First Generation Living Learning Community in Laux Hall</li><li>TRIO programs: Student Support Services, McNair Scholars and Upward Bound</li><li>First Generation Student Organization</li><li>Access Center</li><li>Office of Multicultural Student Services</li><li>Center for Transformative Justice</li><li>Pride Center</li><li>Murphy Learning Center</li><li>Financial Aid Office</li><li>It Makes Cent$</li><li>Scholarship Resource Center</li><li>Undergraduate Research and Creativity Center</li><li>Academic Advising Center and Career Services and Pre-Health Student Resource Center</li><li>International Education and Engagement</li><li>Counseling and Testing Center</li><li>Residence Life</li><li>Student Life</li></ul><p>Many UWL faculty and staff who were first-generation graduates display a “First Generation College Grad” badge on their online profiles.</p><p>First generation students, faculty and staff are encouraged to visit the Student Union between 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Monday, Nov. 8, to pick up a first-generation sticker and snacks. Students can learn more about the many resources available to them at UWL.</p>
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<img loading="lazy" src="/contentassets/d2492d337f8a4841b98d59100cb0f8ab/2021-uwl-fall-student-life-buildings-0581.jpg/Medium" alt="First-generation students — 27% of UWL undergraduates — bring many desirable attributes to campus. First generation students, faculty and staff can visit the Student Union between 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Monday, Nov. 8, to pick up a first-generation sticker and snacks. Students can learn more about the many resources available at UWL." />
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<span class="title">A worthy celebration</span>
<span class="date"><span class="label">Posted </span><span data-part="time">10:07 a.m.</span><span data-part="weekday"><span> </span>Friday</span><span data-part="month"><span>, </span>Oct.</span><span data-part="day"><span> </span>29</span><span data-part="year"><span>, </span>2021</span></span>
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First-generation students recognized Monday, Nov. 8
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</span>https://www.uwlax.edu/news/posts/juneteenth/Juneteenth2021-06-11T11:28:15.267Z2021-06-11T11:28:15.267ZKjerstin Langhttps://uwlax.edu/profile/klang/klang@uwlax.edu
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<span class="title">Juneteenth</span>
<span class="date"><span class="label">Posted </span><span data-part="time">11:28 a.m.</span><span data-part="weekday"><span> </span>Friday</span><span data-part="month"><span>, </span>June</span><span data-part="day"><span> </span>11</span><span data-part="year"><span>, </span>2021</span></span>
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Learn the history of June 19 and what is planned locally to celebrate
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</span>https://www.uwlax.edu/news/posts/driving-diversity/Driving diversity2022-03-18T15:55:20.453Z2021-02-12T12:30:00ZBritney Heinemanhttps://uwlax.edu/profile/bheineman/bheineman@uwlax.edu
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<p class="date"><span class="label">Posted </span><span data-part="time">12:30 p.m.</span><span data-part="weekday"><span> </span>Friday</span><span data-part="month"><span>, </span>Feb.</span><span data-part="day"><span> </span>12</span><span data-part="year"><span>, </span>2021</span></p>
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<figcaption>Shaundel Spivey, director of UW-La Crosse's Upward Bound program, has been invited to serve on Gov. Tony Evers’ newly formed Advisory Council on Equity and Inclusion. The council will provide strategic guidance to the governor, lieutenant governor and Department of Administration secretary as they develop a sustainable framework to promote and advance diversity, equity and inclusion practices across Wisconsin state government.</figcaption>
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<h3>UWL’s Shaundel Spivey named to governor’s advisory council</h3>
<p>UW-La Crosse will have a familiar face on Gov. Tony Evers’ newly formed Advisory Council on Equity and Inclusion.</p><p><a data-mce-href="/profile/sspivey/" href="/profile/sspivey/">Shaundel Spivey, director of UWL’s Upward Bound program</a>, has been invited to serve on the committee, which is composed of equity and inclusion leaders from across the state.</p><p>The council will provide strategic guidance to the governor, lieutenant governor and Department of Administration secretary as they develop a sustainable framework to promote and advance diversity, equity and inclusion practices across Wisconsin state government.</p><p>Spivey says he was surprised but honored to be selected by the governor’s office.</p><p>“At first I was like, ‘Man, this is a big deal,’” he explains. “I was speechless, but at the same time, I was very humbled and appreciative of being seen as a leader doing great work with equity and inclusion.”</p><p>Spivey, who earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from UWL in 2012 and 2015 respectively, has a strong reputation for promoting diversity and social justice in the Coulee Region.</p><p>He worked as a cultural liaison for the School District of La Crosse and has served on several local committees, including the La Crosse Human Rights Commission.</p><p>In 2016, he founded a nonprofit — Black Leaders Acquiring Collective Knowledge — which empowers La Crosse’s Black community by focusing on seven pillars: community engagement, financial literacy, youth engagement, family, spirituality, health and wellness, and education.</p><p>And through his work with <a data-mce-href="/upward-bound/" href="/upward-bound/" data-mce-selected="inline-boundary">Upward Bound</a>, he helps students from diverse and underprivileged backgrounds make the difficult transition from high school to college.</p><p>Spivey’s contributions were widely celebrated in 2019, when he received La Crosse’s Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Leadership Award. He was also elected to the La Crosse Board of Education in 2020.</p><p>As a member of the governor’s advisory council, Spivey hopes to take his advocacy to the next level.</p><p>“One of the things I want to bring attention to would be education, exploring how we can approach equity and inclusion in our educational practices and in our curriculum,” he notes. “The other would be health care, promoting equitable practices and addressing the disproportionate injustices we see in health care.</p><p>“I’m looking forward to representing the city, the university and the community,” he says.</p>
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<img loading="lazy" src="/contentassets/d2492d337f8a4841b98d59100cb0f8ab/2019-shaundel-spivey-martin-luther-king-award-0006.jpg/Medium" alt="Shaundel Spivey, director of UW-La Crosse's Upward Bound program, has been invited to serve on Gov. Tony Evers’ newly formed Advisory Council on Equity and Inclusion. The council will provide strategic guidance to the governor, lieutenant governor and Department of Administration secretary as they develop a sustainable framework to promote and advance diversity, equity and inclusion practices across Wisconsin state government." />
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<span class="title">Driving diversity</span>
<span class="date"><span class="label">Posted </span><span data-part="time">12:30 p.m.</span><span data-part="weekday"><span> </span>Friday</span><span data-part="month"><span>, </span>Feb.</span><span data-part="day"><span> </span>12</span><span data-part="year"><span>, </span>2021</span></span>
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UWL’s Shaundel Spivey named to governor’s advisory council
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</span>https://www.uwlax.edu/news/posts/supporting-students/Supporting students2020-08-19T13:17:18.86Z2020-08-19T13:16:00ZBritney Heinemanhttps://uwlax.edu/profile/bheineman/bheineman@uwlax.edu
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<p class="date"><span class="label">Posted </span><span data-part="time">1:16 p.m.</span><span data-part="weekday"><span> </span>Wednesday</span><span data-part="month"><span>, </span>Aug.</span><span data-part="day"><span> </span>19</span><span data-part="year"><span>, </span>2020</span></p>
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<figcaption>UW-La Crosse senior Matthew Vehlow, a first-generation student from Wausau, has utilized the Student Support Services Office for math and science tutors, along with academic advising for his major in microbiology.</figcaption>
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<h3 class="tagline">UWL program earns $2.25 million grant</h3>
<p>A federal program at UW-La Crosse that helps first-generation and low-income students find success in college will continue thanks to a $2.25 million TRIO grant from the U.S. Department of Education.</p><p>The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.uwlax.edu/student-support-services/" data-mce-href="../../../../student-support-services/">UWL Student Support Services Office</a>&nbsp;will receive $449,718 for each of the next five years to provide a variety of services. Among them: tutoring for academics; guidance in course selection; assistance with financial aid programs and scholarships; financial and economic literacy counseling; help with admission to graduate and professional programs; and enrollment assistance to transition from two-year institutions to four-year programs.</p><div class="list-item-1">
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<figcaption>“If I had not heard about SSS, I don’t think that I would be finishing college,” says UWL senior Matt Vehlow. “Student Support Services helped me better adjust to life on campus by introducing me to new people, many who have become very good friends.”</figcaption>
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<p>UWL senior Matthew Vehlow, a first-generation student from Wausau, says he found out about Student Support Services his first year on campus while struggling to adjust to college and looking for help. He has utilized the office for math and science tutors, along with academic advising for his major in microbiology.</p><p>“If I had not heard about SSS, I don’t think that I would be finishing college,” says Vehlow. “Student Support Services helped me better adjust to life on campus by introducing me to new people, many who have become very good friends. It also helped me academically succeed, which helped give me the confidence I needed to pursue a science major which was challenging at the beginning.”</p><p>Molly Brown, a first-generation psychology major from Eau Claire who graduated in May 2020, had little knowledge on how to succeed when she entered college. She quickly discovered SSS was where to find answers in a supportive environment.</p><p>“I was able to utilize tutors in a range of subjects and attend workshops to help me navigate through midterms, registration and other stressful parts of the year,” Brown explains. “SSS is a positive environment where I felt accepted and supported. I met new people that became very influential to me that I still communicate with today. Whether I needed help with something or not, I found myself in SSS almost every day.”</p>
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<figcaption>Molly Brown, a psychology major from Eau Claire who graduated in May 2020, was a first-generation student with little knowledge about college. She quickly discovered SSS was where to find answers in a supportive environment, including this de-stress event during exams.</figcaption>
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<p>Brown also credits SSS to helping her join the Army National Guard and get accepted into her academic program, along with connecting her to scholarships and grants. She says the office was key for her graduating and landing a job as a credentialing coordinator at Logistics Health Inc. in La Crosse.</p><p><a href="https://www.uwlax.edu/profile/snarcotta-welp/" data-mce-href="../../../../profile/snarcotta-welp/">SSS Director Stacy Narcotta-Welp</a>&nbsp;says the UWL program serves 350 students each year. Recently, she says the program has renewed its focus on career and workplace readiness.</p><p>“These are the most underserved students on campus,” she explains. “It’s an opportunity for them to belong so they can be successful and graduate.”</p><p>Narcotta-Welp attributes obtaining the grant to a team effort by her staff and various offices from across campus.</p><p>“Every office I reached out to has been very helpful to putting together the most competitive grant possible,” she says.</p><p>Student Support Services, on campus since 1978, is currently located in 2131 Centennial Hall. Other, separate federally-funded TRIO programs on campus include&nbsp;<a href="https://www.uwlax.edu/upward-bound/" data-mce-href="../../../../upward-bound/">Upward Bound</a>, which provides programming and academic support to prepare 85 students from eight area high schools for college success each year, and the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.uwlax.edu/mcnair-scholars/" data-mce-href="../../../../mcnair-scholars/">McNair Scholars program</a>, which prepares college students for graduate school with the ultimate goal of increasing diversity among those with doctorate degrees.</p>
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<img data-src="/contentassets/d2492d337f8a4841b98d59100cb0f8ab/2020-uwl-matt-vehlow-student-support-services-0056.jpg/Medium" alt="UW-La Crosse senior Matthew Vehlow, a first-generation student from Wausau, has utilized the Student Support Services Office for math and science tutors, along with academic advising for his major in microbiology." class="lazy" />
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<span class="title">Supporting students</span>
<span class="date"><span class="label">Posted </span><span data-part="time">1:16 p.m.</span><span data-part="weekday"><span> </span>Wednesday</span><span data-part="month"><span>, </span>Aug.</span><span data-part="day"><span> </span>19</span><span data-part="year"><span>, </span>2020</span></span>
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UWL program earns $2.25 million grant
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