Looking Forward
HIRAM UPWARD BOUND
- May 12: HUBDUB Awards in room 200
- May 20: KSU TRIO Senior Event
- Community Service: Last Day May 28th from 3:45-4:45 in room 200
POLK UPWARD BOUND
- May 3: Meet us at RHS
- May 7: Braves Game
- May 8: College Tour at Georgia Highlands College
- May 10: Meet us at CHS
- May 20: KSU TRIO Senior Event
EAST PAULDING UBMS
- May 10: OnTrack Workshop/Group Advisement
- May 20: KSU TRIO Senior Event
- Community Service in EPHS counselor office every Thursday
- May 26: EPHS Graduation
- May 28: End of Year Braves Game
Senior Year Highlights: Operation Free Money
Our seniors have been known to impress us over the years, but the Class of 2023 have made KSU TRIO history, becoming stars in their own right. This year, KSU TRIO embarked on a journey of monumental proportions.
OPERATION Free Money was an initiative built for one purpose: to take full advantage of the funding opportunities available to help our seniors achieve their dreams. For this journey to succeed, it required the full participation and dedication of 32 teenagers, their families, and tireless work from our KSU TRIO staff. Some might have said that it was impossible, but our students did just that.
Our KSU TRIO Senior Class of 2023 cumulatively received over $2.1 million worth of scholarship money for the next four years, averaging $66,060 per student. We want to recognize their efforts and celebrate the victories for all of us. Each student that participated gave up countless hours of their own free time to dedicate to their future. In a world recovering from a pandemic, that sort of dedication is unheard of.
“If your dream ain’t bigger than you, there’s a problem with your dream.” - Deion Sanders
We are incredibly proud of the work accomplished by our students and staff. Below, you will see the seniors who participated in OPERATION Free Money and the total amount of aid they were offered for the next four years. We hope that this will serve as a reminder to students, their families, and everyone else - it is possible to dream big and still achieve. Through hard work and effort, you can change your life.
Thank you to everyone who made this possible, all our school and support staff, the Paulding and Polk Boards of Education, the Department of Education, Georgia Highlands College, Kennesaw State University, CD Educational Services, and again our KSU TRIO staff who is second to none. It truly takes a village to assist in the success of an individual - all the people who have helped us accomplish this goal worked as one. Our community shines in our service to our youth.
Hiram High School Upward Bound
Dear Hiram UB Seniors,
First, we want to say how much we love and am so proud of you all. This is the first year I can say that we got to know each one of you all four years, from applying as rising 9th graders at HHS’s 8th grade night anxiously awaiting to start summer and the fall semesters to now coming to see us to close out your high school senior year. Over the last four years in the program we have laughed, cried, loved, and lost but most of all learned from and embraced each other who we are.
We will never forget the constant coming to see us for late passes, getting all the snacks you could fit in your bags when word got out the snack closet was restocked, Zoom meetings in the pandemic and advising you on your college plans. You’ve sweated in many hot summer bus rides to walk college campuses, became D2L experts, celebrated each other’s accomplishments, encouraged each other when times get hard, and made it through all the endless photo shoots, tutoring sessions, advisements, and your favorite, the dreaded surveys Ms. Christine made you do. You have kept us laughing with your witty personality’s, inspired us by your drive to overcome every obstacle you faced, and kept us up to date on all the latest trends. We have loved watching you grow and become the driven, talented, and awe spiring young adults you are today.
Second, when you look back on this moment in time, you should be so incredibly proud of all you have accomplished while not allowing a pandemic, person, or anything for that matter define you and hold you back from achieving your goals. Instead, each of you took those barriers and let it fuel a fire within you to where EACH of you are going to your FIRST CHOICE DREAM SCHOOL with scholarships and 3.0+ GPA’s. Each one of you are uniquely created to handle everything that life throws at you with the ability to use critical thinking, resilience to never quit, and the ability to give yourself grace when you need too. Do not ever lose sight of that, and if for a moment you do, always know Ms. Christine and Mr. Q are a call or text away.
Finally, we want to say this is not a goodbye where you turn in your Hiram UB shirts, delete Remind, and never see or hear of Ms. Christine, Mr. Q, or Hiram UB ever again. This is just the beginning of your next season of life with us! The mentorship, volunteer/work opportunities, and check-ins will never stop. Once a HUBDUB always a HUBDUB. We will always be grateful, and blessed for the opportunity to be a part of your lives and are so incredibly proud of you all!
Love always,
Ms. Christine and Mr. Q
East Paulding High school upward bound math Science
UBMS CLASS OF 2023,
You finally did it! You have made it to the point in your life that makes all of the hard work of the past four years worth it. We are extremely proud of all your hard work and all of your many accomplishments!
The past four years with you all have garnished many memories. Many of you have been with us since the summer before your ninth-grade year and we have watched you flourish into the beautiful young adults that you have grown to be. For those who joined us later in your high school careers, you have added so much to our program in teaching us how to better serve students that we never interacted with in person. Thank you for trusting us, before you ever met us. We watched you learn to navigate life through a pandemic, which was hard on everyone, but YOU DID IT!
Now, as you all embark on your new post-high school journey, this will be the most important, most difficult, most exciting, and most enjoyable time of your life. All of you will have different experiences, but always make sure to make the most of every opportunity presented to you and chase after every dream that you have. There will absolutely be times when it seems impossible, but there is NOTHING YOU CANNOT DO! You are resilient, you are intelligent, you are important, and never accept no as an answer!
Although you are graduating from East Paulding High School, this is not goodbye. You will ALWAYS be a part of our UBMS family, and we will be checking in with you now more than ever! If you need ANYTHING, please let us know. If we don’t have it for you, we will find out where to get it from. If you just need advice, a shoulder to cry on (there will be tears lol), or just to vent, we always have your back. There will always be opportunities for you to come and volunteer with us while mentoring the UBMS students who are traveling the same journey right behind you. We will ALWAYS be a family and that will never change. Congratulations to you all! We are so very proud of your accomplishments and look forward to witnessing your accomplishments to come.
Love Always,
Ms. Leverett & Mrs. Brittney
Rockmart & cedartown high school upward bound
Class of 2023,
For many of you, we met when you were in 8th or 9th grade. You came into this program as you were figuring your way out through high school. When you started, we told you of the trips and events you would get to attend during your time in Upward Bound. Then, 2020 hit. Our time with you in person went from 100% to 0%, and this seemed like the biggest setback. However, you all persevered. You made the switch to fully virtual, attended virtual advising and workshops, completed online college tours, and made sure to stay in contact. You showed your motivation through a worldwide pandemic and showed up virtually for us and yourselves. As a first-generation college student, you have shown immense tenacity. One thing stayed the same for this class through all four years in high school — your determination to succeed. It is no small feat to handle sports, and clubs, maintain excellent grades, and work your jobs while graduating with excellence and keeping up with Upward Bound.
Now you are seniors, and you have been the most successful class thus far. You are our largest group yet and each and every one of you has been accepted into college! From Georgia Highlands to the University of Georgia, Mercer to Berry, you have each found your college and taken the necessary first step into adulthood. This is a time of change and a time of firsts, and that can be scary. But we have watched you all grow, whether you started with us as rising 9th graders or entered our program in 11th grade, we have watched you all grow and mature into amazing young adults. We know that you all have the motivation, determination, and strength to enter college and adulthood and take it by storm. As you enter your first year in college, remember that you are still growing and learning. Mistakes will be made, and things will stress you out and occasionally you will get knocked down. But learn from them, get back up, and keep going.
KSU TRIO will always be your home and the start of your greatness. Know that we will be here for you for years beyond graduation, for whatever you need, whether it’s academic or life advice. Once you are part of the TRIO Family, you are with us for life.
Best of luck in all of your future endeavors, and remember to keep the end goal in sight. You are a brilliant class and again, we thank you for your dedication. Congratulations class of 2023!!!
Mrs. Mary and Ms. Priscilla