Announcements

GEAR UP Youth Leadership Summit — All GEAR UP students who will have completed the 10th, 11th, or 12th grade by the end of the 2010 academic year are encouraged to apply. For more information and to download an application, please click here.

GEAR UP Youth Venture — Seed grants of up to $1,000 to teams of students who have identified a problem in their community and want to create a community-benefiting venture. For more information and to download an application, please click here.

Parent Leadership Award — NCCEP will recognize five GEAR UP parents and/or family leaders who have made a significant contribution to a GEAR UP program. For more information and to download an application, please click here.

Topeka School District College Fair draws families to learn about education options

October 8, 2010

Topeka, Kan. — More than 900 people attended the USD 501 Topeka School District College Fair at the Kansas Expocentre throughout the day on Thursday, October 7.

Topeka high school family school coordinator, Dean Pearson, talks with one of his students, senior Trey Mills, at the College Fair.



Students and their parents walked through the Expocentre speaking to representatives from colleges, universities and military agencies. The GEAR UP Pathways to Success family school coordinators also ran a booth providing financial aid information.


Topeka high school senior, Trey Mills, and his mother, Yvonne Jones, attended the college fair to collect information from different universities.


Mills' parents did not attend college, which is why his mother said they are pushing for him and his siblings to go.


"Because we didn't go [to college] we know how important it is in order to have a better life," Jones said. "We want him to get a good education and a good job — we know how hard it is to do that now without a college degree."


Mills plans to study business or prelaw but has not decided where to apply for college.


Family school coordinator, Dean Pearson, has worked with Mills since he was a freshman. Last year Pearson took Mills on several college campus visits.


"It was nice visiting colleges," Mills said. "I learned a lot about each school and what they offered and got a feel for what going to college might be like."


Pearson said Mills matured dramatically since freshman year and takes school more seriously now.


"I think Trey will be successful at college if he goes to a school with academic support."


Mills and Jones said they were grateful for the help and advising they received from Pearson.