WKU TRIO Programs Win, Place At State Competition, Including 3 ECHS Students

WKU TRIO students competed in academic competitions at the University of Louisville as a part of the state’s celebration of national TRIO Day on Feb. 27.

Students were also able to attend various workshops and hear from motivational speakers during the event. Educational Talent Search 2 (ETS 2) took five students to compete in High-Q, a competition of four rounds of quick-recall questions asked to opposing teams of four students. Upward Bound took six students to compete in Scholar’s Bowl, a quick-recall competition of nine rounds for individuals and teams.   

Philip Parsons, from WKU Student Support Services, finished second in the inaugural poster competition and won $50. Parsons conducted original research about student perceptions of campus services for veterans for his entry.

WKU’s ETS 2 team is composed of Warren Central High School seniors Lizzey Cain and Thomas Porter; Warren Central junior Kenly Chau and freshman Aleka Chau; and Bowling Green High School sophomore Raven Robinson. Representing WKU’s second Talent Search Grant, these students won all three matches and took first place in the High-Q competition for the second year in a row. The team has qualified for the regional competition representing Kentucky ETS teams in Atlanta, where they will compete against teams from North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Alabama and Florida.

Above: WKU TRIO students competed Feb. 27 in academic events as part of the state’s celebration of national TRIO Day. Front row (from left): Raven Robinson, Krystin Hardin, Lizzey Cain and Kenly Chau. Back row (from left): Tristan Forbes, Cassie Larson, Isiaha Price, Brad Aubrey, Danny Holt, Thomas Porter and Aleka Chau. photo courtesy of  WKU ETS2

WKU’s Upward Bound team is composed of Danny Holt, a junior from Edmonson County High School; Isiaha Price, a junior from Logan County High School; Krystin Hardin, a senior from Butler County High School; Tristan Forbes, a senior from Edmonson County High School; Cassie Larson, a senior from Edmonson County High School; and Brad Aubrey, a senior from Allen County-Scottsville High School.  WKU Upward Bound finished second against nine other teams after an eight-hour competition. Team high-scorer Danny Holt qualified for the Kentucky All-Star Team, which will also compete at the regional competition April 23 in Atlanta.

TRIO is a federally funded program that identifies and assists qualified students in middle school, high school, as well as adult and veteran learners in college enrollment. The program is free to all participants. For information, contact the TRIO office in Jones-Jaggers Hall on WKU’s campus at (270) 745-4400 or visit www.wku.edu/trio