Southeastern NEWS
Southeastern Louisiana University
Public Information Office
SLU 880, Hammond, LA 70402
504/549-2341/fax 504-549-2061
Date: 7/22/98
Contact: Carol Dotson 144
SLU MATH/SCIENCE PROGRAM HAS STUDENTS "UPWARD BOUND"
HAMMOND, LA -- At most colleges, Upward Bound is a program for high school
students to introduce them to, and prepare them for college. Southeastern Louisiana University in
Hammond has that program and more.
In addition to the regular Upward Bound program, Southeastern has Louisiana's only
Math/Science Upward Bound (MSUB).
Southeastern's eight-year-old MSUB targets students interested in math and science and
who may pursue careers in those fields. Funded by the U.S. Department of Education, the
rigorous six-week program attracts up to 60 high school students from Louisiana, Arkansas, New
Mexico,Texas and Oklahoma.
Participants take academic classes and are offered cultural enrichment, field trips and
individualized math and science curriculums designed to prepare them for future high school
math and science courses and to motivate them to enroll in college and ultimately pursue a career
in math or science.
"This is not a remediation program," said MSUB associate director Eric Penalber. "A
good grade point average is a predictor of success and we want the MSUB participants to be
successful, go on to college and pursue a career in math and science. Once they've gone through
our program, students have a tendency to enroll in advanced courses in high school, something
they might not have considered previously.
High school sophomores or juniors with a minimum 3.0 grade point average are accepted
into the program. Many continue to participate each summer until they graduate. The program
recently was modified with a track system to give new and different experiences to repeat
students.
"We try to make instruction as individualized as we can to meet the kid's needs," Penabler
said. "If they have weak areas we try to make sure get appropriate courses to improve those
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areas."
Penalber and MSUB director David Blackwell say Southeastern's MSUB program
focuses on the whole student, not just academics. In addition to weekly field trips, students even
have etiquette classes.
"Before they can become a mathmatician or scientist, they have to be learn to function in
the real world," said Blackwell. "We try to expose them to a lot of different things, teach them
how to negotiate with their roomates, how to behave in social settings, how to work together as a
team. They learn about different cultures and they participate in a cultural program."
In addition to course work, the MSUB students get special help and guidance from
faculty and business community mentors and staff and graduate student counselors. Each
Saturday includes three hours of preparation for taking college readiness tests such as the ACT.
Third year MSUB student Evers Grimaldo of Rio Grande City, Texas, who wants to work
in the medical field, found his mentoring experience in a local hospital particularly rewarding.
"A man came in who had been bitten by a snake and didn't speak English," Grimaldo said. "The
doctor needed to know when he had been bitten so he could inject the right amount of serum. I
speak Spanish so I was able to talk to him, calm the guy down find out the information they
needed, and explain to him what was happening. It saved him from having his foot amputated. I
feel real good about that."
The mentoring program also helps the students both confirm and change career choices,
Blackwell said. "We get kids who think they want to go into the medical profession and after
their first day at a hospital change their minds," said Blackwell. "We work with them and get
them reassigned to a more fitting area. It's a good chance for them to find out about different
careers."
Thu Bui of Erath, La., had already decided on a career as a cardiologist. "I had a
mentorship at Lallie Kemp Regional Medical Center. We spent time in a lot of different areas
like radiology, physical therapy and social service," she said. "I had already decided on my
career, but just being in the environment and being exposed to everything made me more
interested in the field."
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Only a few years old, the MSUB mentoring program is constantly being improved. Third
year students are now allowed to spend longer periods with their mentors and new sites are added
each year. In addition to hospitals, students are placed in a veterinarian's office, nursing homes
and computer facilities.
This is the second year North Oaks Hospital has participated in the mentor program.
Volunteer services coordinator MaLissa Gonzalez said, "We're more involved with the students
this year. We had an orientation session for them and we're refining our program. The kids get to
see our people in action and our mentors are given an opportunity to share what they know. It's a
good program."
Robert Shelton of Lallie Kemp agrees. "The students benefit because they are exposed to
the business side of life. They get to see what it's really like," said Shelton. "Our toughest
challenge is pairing youth with a mentor. We like to consider the students' backgrounds and
interests and we try to pair them with a young person on the move, rather than someone settled
back with a desk job."
For many of the students, this is their first time away from home and according to
Penalber, the MSUB lifestyle is fairly strict. "They have to be up at certain time, lights out at a
certain time and there's even a certain time for phone privileges. Rules are an important part of
the program. We're trying to teach them self discipline. Their mom's are not there to wake them
up in the morning or get their clothes together for them, they have to learn to do it themselves.
These are very bright students who aren't used to having this structured time, to having to do
things all the time. Sure they complain at first and it is rigorous, but once they get used to it they
find they enjoy it."
It has been an eye-opening experience for Mohaned Joudeh of Gretna, La. "You have to
do your own laundry, wake up on your own and take care of yourself. It gives you a great deal of
responsibility."
Jeff Sanchez, a straight A student from Thibadoux, thinks the MSUB program was worth
the sacrifice of giving up summer football practice. "Southeastern had a summer football camp,
but I couldn't go because I was busy with my classes, although I did get to see some of my
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teammates."
The students join MSUB for various reasons. Joudeh followed his older brother's lead in
applying for the program. "My brother told me it was a good program and since I plan to be a
cardiovascular surgeon, I'll need to do well in math and science. He also told me it helped him
with his ACT scores," Joudeh said.
Edward Brown of Kentwood was in Southeastern's regular Upward Bound program when
he applied for MSUB. "I decided to try something new," he said. "I would recommend
Southeastern's Upward Bound or MSUB to anyone. I'm sure it would help them as it's helped me
through the years."
Students participating in this year's Math/Science Upward Bound, their high schools and
hometowns are:
LOUISIANA
Tangipahoa -- Frederick Cage, Kentwood High.
Kentwood -- Edward Brown, Kentwood High.
Roseland -- Antonio Muse, Amite High.
Denham Springs -- Amber Boyd, Denham Springs High
Walker -- Joseph Kersey, Doyle High; Melissa Houston, Walker High.
Pearl River -- Nathan Saucier, Pearl River High.
Baton Rouge -- Tynette Hawkins, Scotlandville Magnet.
Clinton -- Vellanie Holliday, Clinton High.
Franklinton -- Felicia Conerly, Franklinton High.
Violet -- Christina Coble, Andrew Jackson High.
Marrero -- Akeila Stevens, John Ehret High
Gretna -- Joudeh Mohanad, West Jefferson High.
New Orleans -- Chakara Watson, McDonogh #35.
Lafayette -- Darilynn Bernard and Danielle Carrier, Northside High School.
Erath -- Thu Bui, Erath High.
Church Point -- Elizabeth Guillory, Church Point High.
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Sunset -- Gabrielle Boxie and Krishna Guilbeau, Beau Chene High.
Arnaudville -- Fredrica Brown, Beau Chene High
Port Barre -- Gregory Bing, Port Barre High.
Jeanerette -- LaDarrion Hills, Jessica Ledet, Tambara Whitehead, and Sharika Martin,
Jeanerette High.
St. Martinville -- Oshanda Olivier and Annagail Price, St. Martinville High.
Mamou -- Katina Bias, Mamou High.
Oakdale -- Brandy Miller, Oakdale High;
Elizabeth -- Erika Miller, Elizabeth High.
Westlake -- Joseph Hebert Jr., Westlake High.
Sieper -- Shandie Bush, Simpson High.
Golden Meadow -- Erica Dardar, Golden Meadow High
Thibadoux -- Jeff Sanchez, East Thibadoux High
Raceland -- Leonkia Washington, Central Lafourche High.
Franklin -- Summers Hamilton, Franklin High.
Donaldsonville -- Christopher Garnet, Jennifer Martinez and Tavares Walker, Donaldsonville
High.
St. James -- Jacoblin Oubre, St. James High.
Vacherie -- Anya Davis, St. James High.
Mangham -- Amy Williams, Mangham High.
TEXAS
Austin -- Shawna Curry and Erica Henry, Reagan High School; Minerva Mendoza, Crockett
High, and Kim Pham, W.B. Travis High.
San Antonio -- Dania Escatel, Burbank High
Rio Grande City -- Evers Grimaldo and Arturo Saenz, Rio Grande City High School
Garciasville -- Santiago Guerra, Rio Grande City High School.
Elgin -- Mario Lee, Manor High
El Paso -- Sarah Escandon, Socorro High; Erik Ponce, Bel Air High; Peter Rivera Mountain
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View High.
ARKANSAS
Redfield -- Belinda Hall, Redfield High School; Jesse Holmes, Arkansas School for Math &
Science.
NEW MEXICO
Roswell -- Rosalie Tac Sisson, Goddard High.
-SLU-
This press release is available on the World Wide Web at
www.selu.edu/NewsEvents/PublicInfoOffice/newsm98.htm