Kent State University’s Upward Bound Classic Program and the College of Business Administration were recognized with the statewide Ohio TRIO Success in Partnership Building Award for providing pre-college and academic support services to first-generation, income-eligible students.

Upward Bound Classic is a federally funded TRIO program that serves 118 students from Barberton, John R. Buchtel CLC and Warren G. Harding high schools.

Jasmina Nolan, academic coordinator for Kent State’s Upward Bound Math/Science Bio-Scholars program, also received the Ohio TRIO Louis M. Brownlowe New Professional Award. This award is presented to recognize the exemplary services of new professionals who contribute to the mission of TRIO programs.

Upward Bound provides various programming for students, including an academic year component, as well as a six-week residential summer institute at Kent State. Other program services include weekly after-school college readiness sessions, college tours and campus visitation days, occasional Saturday academics and activities, test preparation software and workshops, and assistance completing college admission, financial aid and scholarship applications. Many students served by the program attend Kent State for their undergraduate studies.

Jasmina Nolan, academic coordinator
for Kent State’s Upward Bound
Math/Science Bio-Scholars program,
stands with Louis Brownlowe, after whom
the New Professional Award is named.

The Upward Bound Classic program collaborates with Kent State’s College of Business Administration to expose students to careers in the business field, which teaches them skills in leadership, entrepreneurship, marketing management, finance, computer information systems and accounting.

“The partnership works for the overall development of the students,” says Thomas Jefferson, interim director for Kent State’s Upward Bound Classic. “Last year, in the Saturday Academy, we partnered with the Student Recreation and Wellness Center and did some team building activities, and the second part of the Saturday Academy was to do a 30-second elevator pitch.”

“We have a great partnership with the Upward Bound Classic Program, and they can call on us any time to help a student in our majors,” says Nicole Kotlan, academic program director for the College of Business Administration’s undergraduate office. “We collaborate to help the students succeed beyond high school.

“We have students come to the College of Business Administration, and it is nice that we have relationships with them even before they start their first semester,” Kotlan adds. “It is nice that they know there is another person on campus that is there to help them be successful, especially if they are coming from a first-generation college experience. Once they come to college, we want to make sure they graduate and do not get derailed.”

There are three Upward Bound programs at Kent State: Classic Academy, Public Health and Math/Science Bio-Scholars. Kent State also houses two other TRIO programs: the McNair Scholars Program and Student Support Services, which is part of the Academic Success Center.

Learn more about TRIO Upward Bound programs at Kent State.