WYE MILLS – Four students in the TRiO Upward Bound Program at Chesapeake College received community recognition for their academic achievements this year and will participate in prestigious academic projects this summer.

“These students have impressed me with their polish, work ethic, determination, motivation and talent,” said Upward Bound Program Director Mark Berry, “They all deserve the recognition and will make the most of these opportunities.”

Brooklyn Pierce and Heaven Murray, both rising sophomores at Easton High School, were selected as Youth Literary Laureates with the Needle’s Eye Academy. Both students will burnish their literacy and public speaking skills through the program.

Ziy’Aira Hudson, a rising senior at Colonel Richardson High School, was selected for the National Student Leadership Congress (NSLC) in Washington, D.C., this summer. The annual event is hosted by the Council for Opportunity in Education, a national non-profit organization dedicated to increasing access to college for all, particularly for those students served by the Federal TRIO Programs (TRIO).

Ziy’Aira will join a cohort of TRIO high school students from the graduating classes of 2025 and 2026 in Washington, D.C. to engage in community service activities, develop their leadership and public speaking skills, learn how to manage, and motivate a team, and build confidence in their ability to communicate effectively.

The rigorous, six-day program for TRIO Upward Bound, Upward Bound Math-Science, and Talent Search students includes a mock Congress competition, a day on Capitol Hill, and several other intensive learning experiences.

Tracy Brutus , a rising senior at Colonel Richardson High School, was selected as a participant in the Pioneer Academics Research Program. Her research concentration is Digital Communication Technologies, Society, and You (STS/Anthropology/Media Studies).

For more than 50 years, Upward Bound has been preparing students for college and success after graduation. Students in the program get guidance and resources from 9th grade through college. Founded in 1965, it was the first federally-funded program to help low-income and first-generation students succeed in higher education and attain middle class status.

For more information about Upward Bound at Chesapeake College, please visit www.chesapeake.edu/upwardbound.