RCC Upward Bound program points students toward college

On Thursday, July 26, Rappahannock Community College’s Upward Bound program held a ceremony honoring student participants. The event was particularly significant in marking completion of the program for 23 “bridge” students—those who graduated from high school in Spring 2012 and will go on to the colleges of their choice in the fall. These were D’Myra Brown, LaShawon Churchill, Harold Corbin, Jr., Tameka Corbin, Felicia Cox, Preston Hedgeman, JaQuan Holmes, Jamal Layne, and Shamyce Shelton, all of Essex County; Samoya Ball, Michael Coleman, Brianna Noel, and Ammoni Roane, all of Lancaster County; Ry-Shan Conaway, Robert Doublin II, Sarah Hall, and Tre-Sean Thornton, all of Northumberland County; Devontae Blagmon, Imani Robinson, and Ralph Smith, Jr., all of Richmond County; and Marisa Jackson, Brittany Thompson, and Christina White, all of Westmoreland County.

RCC Upward Bound Graduates

Nine of the students listed—Brown, Churchill, Harold Corbin, Tameka Corbin, Cox, Hedgeman, Layne, Shelton, and Thompson—will enroll at RCC in Fall 2012. Of the others, Blagmon has been accepted at the Art Institute of Virginia Beach; Coleman at Catawba College in North Carolina; Hall at Chowan University in North Carolina; Conaway at Christopher Newport University; Thornton at ECPI University’s Virginia Beach campus; Doublin at George Mason University; Ball at Howard University in Washington, D.C.; Noel at James Madison University; Holmes and Jackson at Old Dominion University; Roane at Virginia Commonwealth University; Smith and White at Virginia State University; and Robinson at Virginia Union University.

Non-bridge students participating in this year’s program were DaJour Ashlock, Arderia Dandridge, Brandon Dixson, Tristan Edwards, NyEisha Fauntleroy, Alfreda Gray, KeShawna Gray, Jonathan Hammond, Joe’ll Pollard, Audrianna Shepherd, Alexis Taylor, and Savannah Thornton, all of Essex County; Kelvonna Clayton, Lancaster County; Vendre Garner, Dierra Green, Imari Mitchell, Robert Mitchell, and Taylor Norris, all of Northumberland County; Devonta’ Brown, Christa Byrd, Bryan Carey, Whitney Cox, Rjay Cruz, Selene Epps, Tevin Fisher, Domonique Fletcher, John Gillis, NaJocelyn Jackson, Deionje Pleasants, William Short, Myka Sydnor, and Alexis Yerby, all of Richmond County; and Whitney Burrell, London Douglas, Moneisha Payne, and Alexis Washington, all of Westmoreland County.

Upward Bound (one of the federal TRIO programs) encourages high school students to achieve a college education, particularly those who might not otherwise have considered doing so. It works to enhance and develop academic skills as well as personal and social skills, producing well-rounded individuals who are more likely to succeed both before and after high school graduation. The program is funded through the United States Department of Education.

Photo: Twenty-three students graduated from the Upward Bound program at RCC on July 26, and will enroll at the colleges of their choice in Fall 2012. First row, left to right; Brittany Thompson, Shamyce Shelton, Brianna Noel, Ammoni Roane, Samoya Ball, Felicia Cox, and D’Myra Brown. Second row, left to right: Jamal Layne, Marisa Jackson, Robert Doublin II, LaShawon Churchill, Imani Robinson, and Christina White. Third row: Preston Hedgeman. Fourth row, left to right: Ry-Shan Conaway, Tre-Sean Thornton, Michael Coleman, JaQuan Holmes, Harold Corbin, Jr., and Ralph Smith, Jr. Not pictured: Tameka Corbin, Sarah Hall, and Devontae Blagmon.