Upward Bound Students, Former Assemblyman to be Celebrated
Approximately 90 students from Buffalo high schools participated in the federally funded Upward Bound Program this summer at Buffalo State. They spent six weeks living on campus and taking academic courses to prepare them for the coming school year and beyond.
On Thursday, August 13, at 7:00 p.m. the students will celebrate their completion of the program during a banquet in the Campbell Student Union Social Hall. At that time, two students will be named recipients of the Hal D. Payne Scholarship: Mohammed El-Amiin, a Hutchinson Central Technical High School graduate who will attend Buffalo State this fall, and Olivia Williams, a Frederick Law Olmsted High School graduate who will attend the Rochester Institute of Technology. The two $500 scholarships, funded by Carruba Collision, are named in honor of Hal Payne, vice president for student affairs.
“Dr. Payne has been a lifelong champion for education and opportunity and has helped countless students achieve success despite institutional and societal barriers,” said Donald Patterson, director of Upward Bound.
Also during the banquet, former New York State assembly member Arthur O. Eve will be named the 2015 recipient of the Hal D. Payne Educational Opportunity Lifetime Service Award. Eve, a Democrat, represented Buffalo from 1967 to 2002 and served as speaker from 1979 to 2002; at the time, he was the highest ranking African American in the assembly.
“We have created this lifetime service award to honor national, state, and local leaders who have demonstrated their commitment to advancing educational opportunity and the important mission that Upward Bound seeks to accomplish every day,” Patterson said.
“Arthur Eve created a legacy in helping first-generation and low-income students gain academic opportunities through numerous state and federal government-funded educational activities and programs. His outspoken advocacy for policies and funding to strengthen access programs, along with an unwavering belief in the potential of individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds, makes him a most worthy recipient of this award.”
About Upward Bound
One of eight federal TRIO Programs created for disadvantaged students, Buffalo State’s Upward Bound annually serves 90 local ninth through 12th graders. Activities include a mix of tutoring, afterschool programming, and a six-week summer residence at Buffalo State offering core academic subjects. Ninety percent of participants enroll in college after high school, including several at Buffalo State.