Advising Information

Pre-enrollment for the summer and fall semesters began March 9th. Contact your advisor soon if you have not yet made an appointment to enroll. Course options are now available for view on Buzz-In; it is important to be proactive in your course selection process.

Hornet Connections (new student enrollment) have begun and classes will fill quickly.

I N S I D E T H I S I S S U E :

Buzz-Worthy Announcements 2

Outstanding Participant 2

Spring & Summer Graduates 2

TRIO Alum Recognition 3

Letters of Recommendation 3

You Can Make a Difference 4

Financial Literacy Month eBook Link 4

TRIO Grant Aid 5

Connect with us online for the most updated information!

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Office Hours:

Monday-Friday 8 a.m.- 5 p.m.

From the Director’s Chair

Dear Participants,

Now that spring has sprung, I hope you all are still working hard at completing the spring semester with the best grades possible. It is difficult to stay focused on your educational goals when the sun is out, the flowers and trees are in bloom, and it’s just a beautiful day. With the weather warming up and summer in the not-so-distant future, forcing yourself to focus on school is harder than ever!

As finals are approaching this is the time to buckle down. One way to eliminate distractions (a.k.a. technology) is to keep your phone out of sight and on silent so that you are not tempted to look at it every 20 seconds. Laptops are more challenging: they are often needed to complete school assignments, but offer an abundance of easy opportunities to become distracted. Thankfully, there are several apps that allow you to block those tempting websites for a set amount of time. If you’re a Mac user, try Self-control. If you use Chrome or Firefox, try StayFocused or LeechBlock.

I hope everyone who is returning next fall has completed his/her FAFSA and you are enrolled for the summer and/or fall semesters. It is very important to complete it before you leave. When you return to ESU, we want everything to go smoothly. Please let us know if we can be of any assistance.

Warmly,

Kristi Bolen, TRIO Director

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Buzz-worthy Announcements

Personal letters of congratulations have been sent to the following students this semester for outstanding personal or academic accomplishments:

“Success seems to be

connected with action.

Successful people keep

moving. They make

mistakes, but they don’t

quit.”

~Conrad Hilton

Spring and Summer Graduates

Homero Alarcon Nikki Aranda Kimberly Candia Jessica Carrillo Micayla Davis Brett George Raven Graves Dulce Guillen

Patrice Haggerty Marissa Hernandez Miley Ibarra Doris Laws Jessica Perez Harley Roedel Catie Schoeck Michelle Spencer

Audrey Sprague Tori Stockton Ceanna Trice Charmetra Walker Jerrika Washington Antonio Zapata Luis Zuniga

John Alfrey Ashley Brandt Jessica Danford Nakita Elwood Christian Griffitts Rashaun Herah Arisvet Hernandez

Jenna Kinnett Melissa Laws Kelsey Mueller Anita Muniz Adriana Perez Austin Pike

Viridiana Reyes Lesly Rojas Melinda Sauvage Jordan Selby Micheal Torres Esmeralda Vasquez

Congratulations, Students!

* Araceli Madrigal was awarded the MO-KAN-NE Board of Director’s Scholarship * Micayla Davis was awarded the TRIO Works Scholarship * Oscar Lemus was awarded the MAEOPP Board of Director’s Scholarship

Outstanding Participant

Hello, my name is Jessica Perez. I was born in Wichita and raised in Emporia. My major is Elementary Education with a minor in Spanish. I work part-time at Dillons as a cashier and I dance in our community group, Raises Hispanas. I enjoy coloring, drawing, dancing, and reading books. Student Support Services is a family to me; I can depend on them when I need help or stop by to have a good laugh. My favorite tutors are Mariah and Michaela; I’ve created a great friendship with them and I can always count on them for help. Becky, the GA, is a wonderful supervisor! When I see her, she always comes by and says “Hello.” Having her welcome me, makes me feel warmth and a sense of belonging to the program. If it wasn’t for SSS I would not have the grades I have now. My tutors have help me so much!

When I started college, I thought professors were mean and advisors unhelpful. However, I was wrong. Professors and advisors are caring and want to help you. My current workload is starting to be more difficult, and I will need SSS to move forward. Yuliana and Julie are excellent advisors; they actually work with me and genuinely know me. TRIO has helped me to become stronger and be a more responsible student and individual. I may have a lot on my plate, but I will always have time to go to the tutoring lab for help. I am glad to be part of Student Support Services.

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Congratulations to a TRIO Alum!

It’s always great to hear from a TRIO alum. Recently we received a graduation announcement from our TRIO alum, Yasmin Tucker, a 2012 ESU graduate. She went on to obtain her Master of Science degree in Art Therapy at Mount Mary University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Congratulations, Yasmin! TRIO staff are proud of your accomplishments!

Requesting a Letter of Recommendation

When asking for a letter of recommendation, it is advisable to do the following:

1. Contact your recommender several weeks before the letter is due. People are busy, so allow enough time for them to write a strong letter.

2. Request recommendations from those who know you since they will be better equipped to write the best recommendation for you. Ask the potential recommender, “Do you feel you know me well enough to write a scholarship recommendation for me?” This allows a person who feels they don’t know you well enough to decline to write a letter and potentially suggest a different individual, which is better than having someone write a generic letter.

3. If possible, meet with your potential recommender in person and provide them with information about the scholarship, why you are applying for the scholarship and what you hope to accomplish through your education and career. Provide accurate deadlines and procedures for how to submit their letter of recommendation. Follow up at least one week before the letter is due to check in and see if your recommender needs any additional information from you. If you have begun working on your personal essay, it would be advisable to bring this as well in order to solicit feedback.

4. Follow up with your recommender to thank them for their time and willingness to write letters on your behalf. This lets them know you appreciate their efforts and will increase the likelihood that they will write another letter of recommendation in the future. When following up, it is best to send a handwritten thank you note. If you are selected to interview for a scholarship or are selected to receive the scholarship let your recommender know of your success.

One person can make a positive difference. Each of us

influences at least 10,000 other people during our

lifetime. So the question is not if you will influence

someone, but how you will use your influence. Jack

Kemp wisely said, "The power of one man or one woman

doing the right thing for the right reason, and at the right

time, is the greatest influence in our society."

In deciding what I wanted to do when I “grew up”, there

was one thing I was sure of: I wanted to do something in

which I could have the opportunity to make a difference.

I believed a career in education would give me that

opportunity. I believe you, too, want to make a positive difference in the world. So, when you wake up in the morning,

ask yourself this question, "What one thing could I do today that would make a positive difference in my life and the

lives of those around me?"

You have been given the gift to choose and use your magnificent potential for good. Choose to control your attitude.

Choose to speak words that build up others. Choose to contribute in a positive way. You do not have to do something

huge to make a difference. Small things can have an

enormous impact. A smile, a kind word, a listening ear,

and a helping hand can make a positive difference to

someone else. Find something that you are passionate

about and volunteer your time and talents to a cause

that supports that passion. The rewards of giving are

great. Besides building a better community, studies

show that doing good deeds enhances our emotional

well-being and peace of mind. Acts of kindness can also

be a wonderful way to relieve stress. Create daily habits

that support the concept of “doing a good turn daily.”

A wise person once said, “Happiness is when what you

think, say, and do are in harmony.” You have the ability

to bring happiness into your own life and to contribute

happiness to those around you. You can make a

difference! Helen Keller was an example of someone

eager to make a positive difference in the world.

Despite being faced with many challenges, she had a

strong desire to learn and use her experiences to

advocate for the benefit of others. Her words of

determination can be a motivation to us all:

I am only one,

But still I am one.

I cannot do everything;

but still I can do something;

and because I cannot do everything

I will not refuse to do the something that I can do.

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Protect

Borrow Spend

Earn

Save & Invest

Celebrate Financial Literacy Awareness Month

Student Support Services

Grant Aid Scholarship Application Instructions

The TRIO Student Support Services (SSS) Grant Aid Award is provided by the U.S. Department of Education to support the educational pursuits of TRIO program participants at Emporia State University. The goals of the SSS Grant Aid are to:

Improve SSS participants’ retention by supplementing financial assistance;

Improve academic success by reducing the number of hours SSS participants need to work;

Provide incentives for SSS participants to make timely progress in their degree program; and

Demonstrate support for SSS participants who are actively using SSS resources to facilitate their academic success.

Students must meet the following criteria to be considered for SSS Grant Aid:

Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA);

Be a Pell Grant recipient;

Be in good academic standing (2.0 GPA or better);

Be in your first year or second year of college (this includes enrollment at other universities, no matter what grade classification you are);

Be a current and active TRIO Student Support Services participant: -Attended tutoring; -Completed Freshman Seminar I or Freshman Seminar II; and -Attended the four academic advising appointments.

Submit completed application form by the last Friday of spring semester. Students interested in applying for an SSS Grant Aid Scholarship must complete the attached application and submit it to the TRIO office. Applications will be evaluated and recipients will be submitted to the ESU Financial Aid office for awarding in July. Students awarded an SSS Grant Aid Scholarship will be notified via ESU Buzzin email. Student’s Financial Aid Summary will be adjusted to reflect the award. Awards will vary depending on each individual’s needs and the number of recipients. However, it is anticipated that the awards will range between $550-$1,100 each semester. SSS Grant Aid Scholarship recipients are required to participate in a Financial Literacy/Student Success course each semester that they receive the Grant Aid. Failure to meet these requirements may result in the loss of the entire award.

Submit completed application to: TRIO Offices

Student Support Services 323 South Morse Hall

By:

The Last Friday of the Spring Semester

Note: An application for Grant Aid does not guarantee award. Recipients of the Grant Aid award will be notified by the TRIO Program. Funds will be dispersed through the ESU Financial Aid office.

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