大 Valley's National 三人组 Day celebration is focus on connections, resources

Anthony Webster, 现在 the director of 三人组 Student Support Services at Eastern Michigan University, 说 it was his 三人组 family that helped, coaxed and pushed him to pursue a doctoral degree.

Webster included his own Eastern 三人组 students in that 大家庭. "One of my own students asked me the other day when I was going to find time to work on my paper," he 说.

He was the keynote speaker February 22 during 大 Valley's second National 三人组 Day celebration. 韦伯斯特对一位 crowded Kirkhof Center room full of area high school students and others who participate in one of 大 山谷的11个三人组项目 . 

As a first-generation college student, Webster, who grew up in Greenville, Mississippi, 说 planning for and talking about college did not happen at his house. 尽管ACT分数很低， he was accepted at Jackson 州立大学 in Mississippi. He recalled the day before his first semester when his mother dropped 他从.

"Suddenly, I was alone in my room. 我坐下来 thought, 'Well, this is what it's going to look like,'" Webster 说. "I knew I had to plug in and master resources to get by."

His first challenge came quickly. 韦伯斯特说 financial aid office told him there was a $1,300 balance on his 账户. "Could I call home and ask my mama for $1,300?" 他问人群. He told the office worker he might have to leave 大学.

Someone in JSU's financial aid office advocated for Webster and found scholarship money to apply to his tuition bill. 

"From that moment, I knew I had to speak up. 自 then, it's been a passion of mine: opening my mouth and saying what 我需要，”韦伯斯特说.

He found a work-study position in the Dean of Students office and began to thrive on campus. 后来，有人建议 Webster apply for the McNair Scholars Program, a 三人组 program that supports first-generation or low-income students who want to pursue 博士课程.

Webster joked and recalled his response, "I thought to myself, 'I'm struggling with my bachelor's degree right 现在. She wants too much from me.'"

That was his second piece of advice for students: “害怕地去做."

Webster 说 he left Mississippi for EMU with $60, his clothes and a 12-inch television set. “我很害怕，但我 我知道我必须这么做. The dean of students 说 I needed another 学位，”他说. He is about five months away from earning his doctorate in educational leadership and policy studies at Wayne 州立大学.

"My McNair family has been my biggest champions. I had a built-in family when I came to Michigan," he 说. "I want all of you to connect with your 三人组 families. 你是 part of this movement in our country. 学会全力以赴地表现自己 整体和占用空间."

Throughout the day, participants attended breakout sessions, listened to a panel of high school and college students 还开了个舞会.

The first federal 三人组 program, 三人组 Upward Bound, was established at 大 Valley in 1977. 自 then, more than 8,500 students have participated in 大 Valley 三人组 programs. 最近, programs in Detroit and West Michigan earned grants from the Michigan Department of Education 为更多学生服务.