My Three Year Experience With TRIO: Upward Bound/Upward Bound Math Science
Samantha Oliva
My First YearÂ
2018
Coming out of freshman year I was terrified of being the "newbie" at another school again. However...it was a great choice!
Education
My first year of the summer program was definetly the stepping stone for my drive to a better future. I learned so many new things that made me realize I could succeed and go beyond my expectations. I was able to take three classes that were taught by high school and college teachers. Each one of my peers was always willing to work with me or my classmates. They really wanted to see us succeed, and I will forever be thankful for their hard work!
TRIO UB/UBMS had a wide variety of classes I could take, for example math classes, science classes, a robotics class, or English classes. I was able to take three classes, but was advised to take at least two classes that would help build a foundation for my upcoming sophomore year. So I took geometry, English, and for fun, a forensics class. What I loved most about my classes was the amount of students each one had. The class with the most amount of students I took was about 15. The class with the least amount of students was about 8. The in class seating time was about the same as a trimester, so my credits were able to transfer over to my school; which was amazing! We all had a schedule just like a regular school. I started off with study hall and proceeded to have my three-two hour classes. (It seems like a long time, but it goes by fast)The course material at TRIO prepared me well for my sophomore year classes. The students and I were also able attended STEM enrichment classes. We saw cool experiments and did some hands on work.
Dorm Living
Staying in a college dorm for six weeks sounded intimidating at first. However, it turned out to be one of the best experiences I've had! My good friend Kathy, which I am very grateful for, also went through this program with me, so we were able to room together. (the dorms have two beds, two desks, two closets, four small cabinets, a large window, many outlets, and sometimes the room includes a long body mirror)
The building we stayed at was a apart of the ISU campus. It was separated by gender, boys on on the left and girls on the right. There was an area in the middle, the Fish Bowl, where the students could meet and play games, such as foosball, pool, or even buy snacks. The floors were divided by years. First years, like me, stayed on the third floor. Second years stayed on the second floor. Third years stayed on the bottom floor. When I first heard we got our own dorms, I immediately wanted to know if I could decorate it. And lucky for me...I was able to! I couldn't stick needles or ruin the walls, but I did tape some fun posters.
My first thoughts also went towards food. Where and what would I eat? I was amazed to find out they had a variety of food choices. Salad bar, create your own sandwich bar, pizza bar, meal of the day (orange chicken, chicken strips, pasta etc.) and even a dessert area! We had ID cards that would allow us to get our free three meals everyday. Everyone would meet together in the cafeteria after their classes or in the mornings.
​
Activities
Through TRIO, the students and I were able to try many new things! There would be some sort of activity every week. For example, rafting, roller skating, swimming, movies, cool stem projects, tie-dying, and many more fun things! My favorite activity was playing volleyball in front of the dorms. It became a tradition for us whenever we had free time. During the midpoint of the program, we were able to go on a free trip to Oregon. We went to an aquariam, visited some colleges, went on a boat ride where we got to hold some crabs, ( as you can see above I was very happy! ) and we spent the fourth of July watching fireworks on the beach. It was a great experience with an awesome group of people who made sure we were all having fun while being safe!
Environment
Although I was new to the program, I immediately felt welcome. There was so much diversity, which I wasn't used to coming from a small town, but I felt right at home! My peers made sure I felt comfortable and guided me to be the best version of myself. The students were put into groups with a mentor. My mentor was a great, spunky leader who was always very open to help us!
My favorite part of the program, however, would be the students. I was able to start new friendships and open my eyes to new perspectives. Thanks to this program, I was able to grow socially, academically, and mentally as a person!