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As 10^th grader Mariah Fox’s name was called for yet another award, tears came to the eyes of her mother, Lectisha Muse-Fox, who later expressed much appreciation for the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Upward Bound Math and Science (UBMS) program at Collinsville High School (CHS).

Fox was one of the more than 150 students, family members and friends who attended the UBMS End of the Year Awards Ceremony and Summer Orientation on April 27 at CHS. 

“This program has sparked a fire in Mariah,” said Fox. “It has given her great confidence when it comes to her work habits and her future goals! Mariah has strived academically, and this program is responsible. It was like Mariah saying, ‘Move out of my way! I am going to get what is mine!’ She has made us very proud.” Fox received awards for attendance and March Student of the Month. 

“There are a lot of things I wouldn’t have learned if it weren’t for UBMS,” said sophomore Aspen Hoffman, who won attendance and April Student of the Month awards. “UBMS helped me identify the STEM career I want to pursue in college. My new career aspiration is to be a wildlife biologist.” 

“I appreciated having my own counselor to talk to about school, my grades, career exploration and even getting assistance for picking out classes for next year,” said sophomore Luis Rivas, who won the Tutoring Titan and Sophomore of the Year awards and was an Animatronics Club inductee. “This contributed to my being recognized for my 4.0 cumulative GPA! I am also really excited about being selected to be on the animatronics club.” 

Awards were presented by UBMS Program Director Desiree Tyus and UBMS Program Coordinator Melissa Bidinger. They were as follows:

• New Inductees (eighth graders joining UBMS this summer)
• Highest Attendance (top 10 attendance participants)
• Highest GPA/Smarty Pants (students with GPA 4.0 and higher)
• Tutoring Titans (students who utilized UBMS tutoring services)
• 180 Club (students who made significant advances in their personal growth)
• Unsung Hero (students who achieved behind the scenes accomplishments)
• 1:1 Engagement (students who attended the most of their bi-weekly advising sessions and used their time wisely)
• Students of the Month (based on monthly participation and GPA)
• Student of the Year (selected for overall participation and GPA)
• Grade Level of the Year (awards given for overall disposition, participation and GPA)
• Spirit Award (person demonstrating most enthusiasm, relationship building among students/staff and participation in the program)
• Senior Send Off (to recognize that 100% of all 12 seniors are graduating and have been accepted to college in the fall)
• Animatronics Club (10 students from grades 8-12 will have the opportunity to learn about building animatronic devices) 

“It was an easy toss up in almost every category as to who could have won, because there were so many students who were deserving,” said Robert Scott, who graduated from SIUE in May in business administration. “Looking at our data, it is evident we have a dynamic group of students in our program.” 

“We saw a lot of growth from our students,” said SIUE graduate student Carla Lybarger, who is majoring in clinical psychology. “Many of our students had multiple battles they were contending with throughout the year. But despite their odds, they were able to persevere and achieve their individual goals.”  

“Through various program services that UBMS provides, our team was able to serve our students outside of just academics,” she continued. “We help our students holistically, including their social-emotional needs to better equip them for their futures.” 

For more information on UBMS summer programming, contact Tyus at dtyus@siue.edu. 

The SIUE Upward Bound Math & Science (UBMS) program helps youth prepare for higher education and serves students from Collinsville. Participants receive instruction in advanced mathematics and science during the school day, homework assistance and hands-on STEM workshops twice a week after school, and cultural, career and college preparation on Saturdays. During the summer, students participate in a six-week residential program that allows participants to reside on Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s campus and undergo college preparedness. Services provided prepare students for successful high school completion and entrance into post-secondary STEM degree programs. The program is designed to serve low-income and/or potential first-generation college students who are currently in grades 9-12. For more information about how you can get involved in our program, please visit us at collinsvilleubms.com.  

Photos:
Joseph Rauk, CHS junior, is UBMS Student of the Year. 

Students awarded for receiving a 4.0 GPA or higher include on front row (L-R): Gabriela Hernandez and Fatima Gutierrez, both sophomores, Herica Campos, senior, Aniyah Edwards, freshman, and Juliana Sotelo, junior. Back row (L-R): Brian Simpkins, sophomore; Joseph Rauk, junior, Luis Rivas, Danajah Willis and Kaylee Cooper, all sophomores. 

Representing the UBMS senior class from left to right are Herica Campos, Jennifer Carrillo, Anjelica Harris and Crista Rodriguez.