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Upcoming Challenge Sessions
April 11, 2026
Please RSVP here 2026 April RSVP and UBer Transportation – Challenge Sessions – Fill out form
Sunday, May 17, 2026 1:30-4:30 pm (RSVP link coming soon)
Myles Center for the Arts & Harper McNeeley Auditorium
Summer Programming and UB Class of 2026 Graduation
No Transportation will be provided for the May Session
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Davis & Elkins College Upward Bound (UB) Programs are designed to guide and prepare students for success in college – and life!
To learn more about UB Programs, please contact us.
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Over the next few weeks, we will be introducing our full-time staff for Upward Bound! First up is Melissa Cartlidge! Melissa is one of our two academic advisors for the Randolph, Barbour, and Tucker grant, working primarily in Barbour and Tucker counties with students.
“I’m excited to share a little about my journey and the path that led me to Upward Bound. I earned my Master’s in Social Work from Rutgers University and have spent the past 13 years working with children with special needs—a role that has shaped both my career and my passion for supporting our youth. I am also a Spanish speaker, which has allowed me to connect with and support a more diverse range of students and families.
I was born in Brooklyn, New York, and spent most of my life in New Jersey, with a brief but unforgettable chapter living in paradise on Maui. Last summer, my husband of 16 years and I made the decision to move our family—along with our two sons, ages 10 and 11—to West Virginia.
The beauty of this place—both in the stunning scenery and in the hearts of the people—has brought a sense of grounding and peace that we were missing. We’re so excited to start this new chapter and to raise our boys surrounded by such love, nature, and community spirit.
I feel incredibly grateful to be part of the Upward Bound program, working alongside such dedicated colleagues. Supporting and guiding high school students as they pursue their goals is truly meaningful work, and I feel fortunate every day to be part of their journey.”
Melissa just began working with Upward Bound in January, but is already making a huge impact on our students! Thank you for all you do, Melissa!
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On Saturday, April 11, we met on the Davis and Elkins campus for our April challenge session! Students had a great time catching up with one another. We had Mr. Mike Kesecker, who heads operations at the City of Elkins, come speak with the students about professionalism and best practices for interviewing and preparing themselves for their future professional careers. He taught our students so much and gave an excellent presentation! Thank you, Mr. Kesecker, for taking time to come speak with our group of students! After our presentation, we had lunch, then students broke into groups (sophomores & juniors and seniors). Sophomores and juniors worked in groups on self-advocacy and how they can best advocate for themselves in different scenarios. Seniors attended a financial aid workshop that covered how to understand their financial aid packages for college and answered questions about financial aid. Then, all students met up at the end of the day to play dorm bingo! All prizes were dorm-related and the students all had a great time playing! We loved having our students back on campus and we all had such a great day!
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A seminar on professionalism📝
“You get one chance to make a first impression” - Mike Kesecker, Operations for the City of Elkins
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Calling all alumni..we must be heard #TRIOworks
TRIO Alumni Community Meeting - Council for Opportunity in Education
coenet.org
A special meeting for all TRIO alumni to provide an update on the latest threats impacting TRIO and how you can help defend current students and programs.0 CommentsComment on Facebook
Highlights from our recent Saturday Challenge Session trip on Saturday, March 21 to Fairmont State Univeristy for a tour! We all had a great time and students learned a lot about the school, the programs, and resources that Fairmont State offers. It was a great opportunity for our students and we thank Fairmont State for a great tour, great tour guides, and wonderful hospitality (oh, and really good dining hall food, too😋)!
#TRIOworks
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