SIUE Upward Bound Student’s Regional Talent Show Win Strengthens His Academic Ambitions
January 30, 2015, 10:30 AM
Sergio Gomez is a student in SIUE’s East St. Louis Center TRIO Upward Bound Program. He was selected to attend the TRIO Mid-America Association of Educational Opportunity Program Personnel (MAEOPP) Pre-College Student Leadership Conference in October 2014.
The experience and excitement of attending the conference and participating in the talent show, Gomez said, has encouraged and emboldened him to push harder in life and academics.
“I hadn’t planned on entering the talent show,” Gomez said. “I don’t normally like being out front. But I thought about it and decided I’d make myself try it. I’m more comfortable performing academically.”
Gomez is a junior at Cahokia High School and has a 3.8 grade point average. He joined the Upward Bound after school program to better prepare for college and to further boost his academic skills.
Sergio is also a member of his high school’s Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC).
“I decided the night before to enter the talent contest,” Gomez said. “Our Junior ROTC wrote its own cadence, and I decided to sing it.”
Gomez was one of 15 performers from five states, most of whom had previously prepared an act for the show. In choosing winners, the judges considered creativity, audience involvement and amount of applause.
“It was the most nervous I’ve ever been. But I had the audience stand, march in place and sing the cadence with me. I wanted to honor veterans,” Gomez said. “They really got into it. I didn’t think I’d win first place. It gave me some confidence to know that I can try other things.”
“Sergio is a dynamic student who has maintained academic focus and is ever pondering his future ambitions,” said Janell Smart, Upward Bound counselor. “I’m excited to see his impact upon the world.”
Gomez’s future goals include studying ecology and traveling the world.
“But first, I’ve got to make it to, and get through, college,” he said. “And I’m working on that plan now.”
SIUE ESLC TRIO Upward Bound programs are committed to developing year-round education programs that will excite, motivate and prepare selected high school students from the program’s target schools. We are committed to utilizing researched-based best-practices to prepare our students for successful high school completion and entrance into post-secondary programs. TRIO Upward Bound is a federally-funded college-prep program sponsored by Southern Illinois University Edwardsville and the U.S. Department of Education.
Photo: Sergio Gomez
