2024, A Year of Deadlines and Decisions for College Bound High School Seniors

February 13, 2024

Assistant Director Jerri-Ann Cadet prepares an activity for students participating in the Kearns Center Upward Bound summer program, June 2023.
Assistant Director Jerri-Ann Cadet prepares an activity for students participating in the Kearns Center Upward Bound summer program, June 2023. Photo: Alexa Olson, University of Rochester

“When I started to get college acceptance letters through the mail or via Gmail, I was kind of sad because it meant it was time for me to become an adult and grow up. But it was also an amazing feeling because I’ve finally achieved what I’ve been working so hard for, and I am now able to start a new chapter in my life,” says Kierra Dixon, a senior at Wilson High School. Dixon has been a part of the Kearns Center’s Upward Bound program for three years, along with Kiara Ridgeway. "When I was accepted into colleges I was flabbergasted, especially getting into desired colleges,” said Ridgeway who has worked alongside Kearns Center Academic Coach Aye Wathy Myat, who is stationed at Wilson High School and has helped her along the way.

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Welcoming New Kearns Center Pre-College Team Member, Ben Godfrey

December 29, 2023

Picture of Ben Godfrey standing outside on the University of Rochester campus
New member of the Kearns Center Pre-College programs team, Ben Godfrey, on the University of Rochester River Campus. Photo: Alexa Olson, University of Rochester

The David T. Kearns Center is pleased to welcome a new member to the pre-college programs team. Ben Godfrey started at the end of November as an academic advisor and is working primarily with high school students at East High School in the Rochester City School District (RCSD). Director of the Kearns Center Dr. Miguel Baique is excited to welcome Godfrey to the team. “Ben brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in youth and community outreach and engagement programs and services that will benefit the pre-college division in the Kearns Center. Having only been in the role for a short period of time, I already see how he is acclimating to the team, his post at East High School, and his work with the TRIO Educational Talent Search (ETS) program.”

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Celebrating First-Generation Student Success at the University of Rochester

November 8, 2023

An exterior view of the Wilson Commons building with some students walking by.
Wilson Commons on the University of Rochester River campus. Photo: Alexa Olson, University of Rochester

Doing anything for the first time can be scary, but it can be especially anxiety producing when you are the first in your family to do it. For all first-year college students, the college experience is a new one, but for first-generation college students, the college experience can hold a lot more weight. “To me, being first-gen means having to support myself and jumping through hoops others don’t have to,” says University of Rochester (UR) junior and McNair Scholar Dariel Guerra.

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University of Rochester Celebrates First-Generation College Students During ‘First-Gen Week’

October 31, 2023

A stack of promotional t-shirts sitting on a table.
'First-Gen Proud' t-shirts to celebrate First-Gen Week at the University of Rochester. Photo: Matt Wittmeyer Photography

This November, colleges and universities across the country, including the University of Rochester (UR), will recognize First-Generation College Celebration (FGCC) day. Launched in 2017 by the Council for Opportunity in Education (COE) and the Center for First-Generation Student Success, FGCC day is an opportunity to share and celebrate first-gen experiences and achievements nationally. The day is intentionally celebrated on November 8, to commemorate the passage of the Higher Education Act signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1965. COE and the Center for First Generation Student Success hope institutions and organizations use the date to highlight and recognize first-gen students, while also encouraging communities to gain a better understanding of the systemic barriers plaguing higher education, according to their websites. UR will not only celebrate students on November 8 but will host a series of events for First-Gen Week: November 6-10.

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University of Rochester Alumnus Presented James S. Armstrong Alumni Service Award During Meliora Weekend

October 8, 2023

Dr. Mark Frohman delivering his acceptance speech at the awards ceremony.
Dr. Mark Frohman delivering his acceptance speech at the AS&E Awards Ceremony, October 8, 2023.

University of Rochester alumnus Dr. Mark Frohman has been presented the James S. Armstrong Alumni Service Award. Dr. Frohman graduated from the University of Rochester in 1966 and was presented the award on October 8, 2023, during Meliora Weekend at the University of Rochester.

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Partnerships, New and Old, Fostered Through Summer Programs at The University of Rochester

September 27, 2023

A group of University of Rochester students at a poster session.
Students presenting their research during poster presentations at the 2023 David T. Kearns Center Summer Research Symposium. (Photo: Alexa Olson, University of Rochester)

Opportunities for research at the University of Rochester (UR) continue to get ‘Ever Better’ – that was particularly true this past summer when a new partnership between the University, North Carolina A&T State University (NCA&T) and the Thurgood Marshall College Fund, brought four students to campus to engage in summer research. Those four students joined dozens of other students on campus doing research in different summer programs, including the Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) programs and the Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement Program.

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Summer Research Students Participate in David T. Kearns Center Summer Research Symposium

July 31, 2023

A University of Rochester student prepares her workspace in the lab.
University of Rochester student Lalita Dahal prepares her workspace in the lab at the University of Rochester Medical Center, July 2023. Photo: Alexa Olson

The annual David T. Kearns Center Summer Research Symposium was held last week, and for University of Rochester student and McNair scholar Lalita Dahal, that meant an opportunity to showcase the research she has been working on all summer.

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Please welcome our new director Miguel Baique!

March 13, 2023

Headshot of Miguel Baique.
Miguel Baique

Miguel Baique '21W (EdD) has been named the director of the David T. Kearns Center for Leadership and Diversity effective March 13. He will manage the day-to-day operations of the center, supervise all staff, and focus on strengthening the center’s support of first-generation, low-income, and underrepresented students. Beth Olivares continues in her role as executive and founding director of the center; together Miguel and Beth will develop a strategic vision for the center’s next decades.

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