Veterans Upward Bound

Hall of Fame Honorees

Lydia Brown   

What barriers have you encountered while obtaining your education?  How has TRiO helped you overcome those barriers?

I found out about the TRiO/Veteran's Upward Bound program while reporting to an appointment in the same office as VUB. I spoke to Erica Seyfert who greeted me with the most welcoming personality. I soon found out that was contagious among all the employees in the Oklahoma City Office.

When they relocated to the V. A. Hospital on 13th Street I was able to attend all this program had to offer.  I received constant encouragement from all of the staff.  During conversations with other attendees I learned about various job openings, the Vocational Rehab program, the counseling I needed, who to go to for help, and about other colleges they or the counselors were attending.

I have grown as an individual and can face challenges better than before because of Veterans Upward Bound.  I now attend Southeastern Oklahoma State University taking on one class at a time towards a Bachelors Degree in Sociology. 

I wasn't even supposed to be born and have overcome every obstacle faced before me, with the prayers and encouragement of friends and counselors of this program. There hasn't been any class, social, or cultural barrier that I could not present to the staff in this program.  When I have reached out for help they were there for me and I am very grateful for this

Charles Morris 

Charles Morris served in the U.S. Army in the early seventies, joined Veterans Upward Bound in November 1999.  He was living in VA Medical Center transitional housing and recognized a need for change.  Although he had attended college earlier, he lacked the confidence he needed to return to a post secondary educational program. He felt his age and some past due student loans would hinder his ability to succeed. 

Veterans Upward Bound provided him with the basic skill building instruction he needed, while transitional work program at the VA Medical Center allowed him to begin making payments on his student loans.  In August of 2001, Charles began working on a degree in Substance Abuse Counseling at OSU-OKC.  While attending college part-time and working full-time as a Nursing Assistant at the VA Medical Center, he has managed to maintain a 4.0 GPA and has raised his overall GPA to a 2.5.  Mr Morris received the OSU-OKC Harn Homestead Student Service Award in the Spring of 2002. In October 2003 he received the Nursing Assistant of the Year Award for his work at the VA  Medical Center.  He was recognized locally and regionally and received a cash award for his service.  "My number one goal is to be of service to mankind everyday," he said.  Charles now serves as a mentor to new Veterans Upward Bound participants.