Archive for February, 2010
On Saturday, February 20th, ASPIRE members Denise Arreola, Amber Beamon, Kristian Contreras, Jessica Davis, Elise Jackson, Teresita Mariano, Nick Pappas, and Taria Pritchett made significant contributions to the New Castle County College Planning Community,by helping to host FAFSA labs and workshops held at Delaware Technical and Community College for high school seniors and parents. According to Teresita Mariano, an ASPIRE officer, This is important service for us to give, especially to the many Latino families that attended. These students and their parents need to interact with people who know about college and can help them understand the process for getting in, getting financial support, and succeeding once you are there. Denise Arreola, also an ASPIRE officer, agrees with Teresita, and she stressed the importance of time management, especially for students who must work during their first semesters of college life.
Elise and Kristian, both English Education majors, greet a high school student who plans to become a teacher.
The ASPIRE leadership team was pleased to welcome new faces to the spring semester opening meeting on February 18th. After several spirited rounds of “speed dating,” the group
settled into a serious discussion about parent involvement in schools and both positive and negative ways that parents can influence learning and behavior.
The group discussed the diversity among families, noting that few families conform to some of the “norms” historically associated with two parent, suburban family life. The discussion referenced the movie Precious which portrays a situation where the main character and other students must make sense of their places in the world without traditional parental support. Many in the group felt that teachers can make a critical difference in the lives of such children by helping them see education as the tool that will shape more positive life opportunities.
ASPIRE member has best experience of her life abroad…
Rachelle Bull, Sophomore, Math Education Major and Spanish Minor
Program: Winter 2010 Panama FLLT
Experience: “Studying Abroad has been one of the most rewarding experiences in my life, if not the most rewarding. I have tried so many different foods, spoken with so many people, learned so much about the culture, and enjoyed the beauty of this country. Being here has cultivated my desire to see more, to learn more, to be more. Study abroad is absolutely amazing.”
Advice: “Fully express your desire to go and your financial need and speak of how it will enrich you as a person”
Kara Cashwell, Junior, Early Childhood Education Major, Urban Education Minor, and Disabilities Studies
Program- Winter 2010 Around The World DIST
Her Experience: “Study Abroad is the best way to see the world. You are immersed in the culture in a very different way than you can be as a regular tourist. This allows you to learn more about the intricacies of the culture such as daily life for citizens rather than just about tourist hot spots”
Energized and enthusiastic ASPIRE members will begin the semester by attending a campus screening of the movie Precious, on Wednesday, February 17, 2010 at the Trabant Theater, at 7:30 p.m.
