UB Chronicle

The Upward Bound Programs at Morehead State University

May 2024 Volume 3 Issue 9

WHY YOU NEED A HIGH SCHOOL RESUME, AND WHAT IT SHOULD INCLUDE.

Taken from ASVAB

A resume summarizes your skills, experiences, and accomplishments, and it is not just for adults applying for jobs. High school students need a resume to apply to college, scholarships, employment, and internships.

Your resume is an important marketing tool. A well-written high school resume represents your character, your skills and accomplishments, and how you spend your time. Someone reading your resume should get an idea of who you are, both personally and professionally.

WHAT SHOULD A RESUME FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS INCLUDE?

HIGH SCHOOL RESUME COMPONENTS

Basic Information: Name & Contact Information
Objective or Summary Statement
Education
Work Experience
Extracurricular Activities
Community Service or Volunteering
Awards, Honors, Accomplishments, and Leadership Roles
Special Skills
References or Letters of Recommendation

BASIC INFORMATION

Most importantly, you should prominently list your personal and contact information at the top of your resume. This includes your name, address, email, and phone number. People sometimes include their social media handles or LinkedIn profile, if it is appropriate.

OBJECTIVE OR SUMMARY STATEMENT

This is your brief “elevator pitch” about yourself. Think of it as a personal introduction. It should be a few sentences describing your unique skills, high-level accomplishments, and what you hope to achieve.

You’ll want to tailor your summary statement for different opportunities. Here are some examples:

Sample Resume Objective: Employment Prospects

Reliable, mature high school senior looking for a part-time server position where I can use my excellent people skills to gratify customers.

High school student seeking a retail sales associate position that uses my exceptional mathematics and customer service skills to prepare for a future career in customer relations.

Sample Resume Objective: College Admissions Application

Self-motivated, industrious student-athlete seeking admission to a distinguished university to pursue studies in (degree program).

Sample Resume Objective: Scholarship Application

Ambitious high school student and honor society member with a 3.8 GPA seeking to obtain a four-year degree at (specify university) in (degree program).

EDUCATION

Your resume should also include:

Name of your high school
Your expected graduation date
Your GPA (if above 3.0)
Class rank, if applicable
Specific courses that pertain to your intended major (such as CTE classes), and any dual enrollment college or AP courses taken

WORK EXPERIENCE

Highlight any work experience you have, such as a summer or part-time, school-year job. If you have limited work experience, list any babysitting, pet-sitting, or lawn-mowing jobs, etc. Any work experience shows motivation and responsibility.

EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES

Regardless of the purpose of your resume--employment, college admissions, or scholarships-- adding your extracurricular activities provides a boost. Extracurriculars demonstrate your interests and prove you can make meaningful contributions, maintain a commitment, and manage your time and priorities.

COMMUNITY SERVICE OR VOLUNTEER ROLES

Don’t forget to include community service and volunteer positions! In many places, high school students must complete community service hours as part of their graduation requirements. You can use this volunteer experience or any unpaid endeavors to build up your resume.

When you add volunteer positions to your resume, do it as you would with any other job. List the organization, your role (volunteer), and your responsibilities. You’ll also want to include how long you volunteered there (your start date and end date) and a reference, if possible.

AWARDS, HONORS, ACCOMPLISHMENTS, AND LEADERSHIP ROLES

Your resume is the place to brag! Don’t be shy about adding awards, honors, and accomplishments you have received or leadership roles you’ve taken on. Honor roll, attendance awards, and sports achievements are all examples of things you can put on your high school resume.

SPECIAL SKILLS

Think about the things that set you apart from others. For example, strong math or communication skills are transferable to future opportunities, and you should list them.

REFERENCES OR LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION

Since this is likely one of your first resumes, you may not have extensive work experience. Add letters of recommendation or list references from teachers, coaches, mentors, or other adults. As long as a close family member does not write it, a reference shows that others value what you bring to the table.

Stress Management Tips

Taken from: kidshealth.org

Life can be stressful at times. And it’s not just the big things that can cause stress. Life’s everyday hassles, demands, and pressures can cause stress too.

When you’re stressed, your body responds by making hormones that provide extra energy, focus, and strength. This is called the fight-or-flight response.

At times, a small surge of stress can be a positive thing. It can help you do well under pressure, be on time, or meet a deadline. It can alert you to a problem you need to handle. It can motivate you toward your goals. It can push you to study, plan, and prepare.

But too much stress — or stress you can’t manage — keeps you from doing and feeling your best. It can wear you down, drain your energy, and make it harder to get things done. Too much stress can lead you to feel cranky, annoyed, or scattered.

You can’t avoid stress. But you can make it a goal to keep everyday stress at low levels. When you stress less over everyday stuff, you’re better able to handle bigger challenges you might face.

If you want to get better at managing everyday stress, here are ten things that can help you:

1. Balance work and play. Make time to work on your tasks and goals (like schoolwork, chores, or practice). But be sure to make time for things you enjoy, too (like playing music, working out, playing with a pet, or spending time with friends). Even if it’s only a few minutes, daily time to relax and recharge lowers your stress.

2. Plan your day. Use a calendar or planning app to keep track of your daily schedule. Fill in your class times, tests, and when assignments are due. Add your activities. Block in times to study for tests and work on assignments. Block in times to do things you enjoy. Having a plan and a daily routine lowers stress.

3. Stick to your plan. Of course, planning is no good if you don't do what you plan. Make it a routine to look at your planner every day. Check off what you’ve done. Get ready for what’s coming up. Make a routine time to study. Keep on top of assignments. This lowers daily schoolwork stress.

4. Ask for help when you need it. Schoolwork, grades, and tests are a big source of stress for many people. Keeping on top of it all isn’t always easy. If you need help preparing for tests, planning projects, or getting things done, ask a teacher, parent, tutor, or mentor to coach you. If you tend to procrastinate, pair up with a classmate to study or do homework at a set time.

5. Use the positive energy of stress. Don’t put things off until the last minute. That’s too stressful. And it’s hard to do your best if you’re in a rush. Instead, let stress motivate you to get moving on a task. If you have a deadline, give yourself a positive mental push. Think, "OK, I’ve got this — I'm on it." Then go ahead and get started.

6. Deal with problems as they come up. Don’t ignore everyday problems — but don’t stress out about them either. Instead, figure out how to handle them. If you’re not sure what to do, ask for help and advice from others.

7. Eat good foods. What you eat affects your mood, energy, and stress level. Choose foods that are good for you. You don’t have to avoid all treats. But if sweets are your main source of fuel, you're likely to crash or feel cranky — and stressed!

8. Get enough sleep. After a long day of school and activities, you might feel like staying up late. Maybe you’ve still got homework to finish. Or you want time to talk to friends or binge-watch that show you like. But going to bed late doesn’t leave enough time for sleep when you need to get up early for school. Without enough sleep, you’re more likely to feel stressed over the day’s ups and downs.

To avoid a stressful morning rush, stick to a set bedtime and wake time. Turn off screens well before bedtime. Wind down with quiet activities.

9. Exercise every day. Stress melts away when you’re working out, playing a sport, or dancing to your favorite music. Exercise does more than keep you fit. It’s a way to manage stress, lower anxiety and depression, and make your mood more positive.

10. Breathe deeply. When you feel stressed or overwhelmed, take some deep, slow belly breaths. Belly breathing is quick and sure way to turn off your body’s fight-or-flight (stress) response. Practice belly breathing or mindful breathing every day to help you lower everyday stress.

Creating your FSA ID

Taken from: fafsafenzy

Don't wait to create the FSA ID for both yourself (Single family household) and your spouse if you are married or remarried as it can take up to 2-5 weeks for the FSA ID to be verified.

Everyone Needs an FSA ID To Complete the FAFSA Application

For the 2024-25 school year, anyone required to fill out part of a student’s FAFSA—including a spouse, parent or step-parent—must create their own FSA ID and password.

The FSA ID provides a digital signature on your application for security reasons. Application contributors can set up an FSA ID on the StudentAid.gov website by providing their birth date, Social Security number and full name.

Consent Is Required for Tax Data Transfers

You can digitally transfer much of the information required for the FAFSA from the IRS, but the transfer requires consent from each application contributor. So, if a spouse or parent needs to fill out part of your FAFSA, they must agree to provide their tax details.

Application contributors should get a FAFSA notification requesting their consent. If they don’t agree to have the IRS information transferred, students can still apply for aid, but may not qualify without consent.

How To Help your Student Prepare for Your FAFSA Application

The launch date of the new FAFSA for the 2024-25 school year is still several months away, but taking the steps below could help students and parents prepare before it opens.

Locate their Social Security card. If they are a high school student, they may not have their Social Security number committed to memory yet. Consider tracking down their Social Security card so you have it ready for the application. If it’s misplaced, you have time to request a copy from the Social Security Administration.
Set up an FSA ID. Students and application contributors can set up FSA IDs before the FAFSA opens, so that’s one less task to worry about when it’s time to apply.
Figure out your dependency status. Students answer questions during the FAFSA application to determine if they’re an independent or dependent student, but they can answer preliminary questions on the StudentAid.gov website to anticipate what the dependency status might be. This way, students can give parents and other application contributors a heads-up if they’ll need to fill out parts of the FAFSA.
Mark your calendar for a December launch date. Make a note to yourself to everything prepared by December 31st so you can start the application as soon as it opens. It is recommended to wait until January to complete the FAFSA as the launch may have some bugs to work out.

Mental Health Awareness

Brandon Isaac, Upward Bound Alum, Class of 2009

Dr. Brandon Isaac, Associate Director UBMS North

What is your name and occupation?

My name is Brandon Isaac and I am the Associate Director for our Upward Bound Math Science North Grant. I serve students from Fleming, Mason, and Menifee County.

What degree/ degrees did you get for that position?

Bachelors- Convergent Media

Masters- Master of Arts in Education (M.A.E)- Educational Technology and Master of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T)- 5-12 English/Communications

Doctorate- Ed.D Educational Leadership and Educational Technology

My current position with UB only requires a Master's degree in education, counseling, social work or related area.

What are some key things you would share with others interested in pursuing this pathway?

My biggest advice is put in the work, build skills that make you marketable, and keep trying until you get to where you want to be. I am a firm believer that we should never stop learning and being the best version of ourselves. Having a good support system like the one I received through my participation in Upward Bound and Student Support Services (SSS) gave me the tools and resources I needed to be successful. There are several TRIO programs each one unique with the same goal of helping students and adults succeed. Upward Bound has always been special to me so when the opportunity came for me to be able to give back I took the risk and I am so grateful I did, because it allowed me to discover another passion of mine which was Educational Leadership thus setting me on a pathway to complete my doctorate.

Did you find your job easily/ what do you think the future for your career is?

I have been around TRIO programs since I was 13. I had applied a few times to work for TRIO programs prior to getting my first position as an Academic Coordinator in 2019. From there I worked until 2022 where an opportunity came for me to apply for the Associate Director position I am in currently. TRIO programs are grant funded so our future comes down to advocacy and continued funding, however, TRIO programs continue to expand so I hopeful for the future. Just know that it is okay if you don't get a position on your first try, keep trying and eventually you will end up where you are suppose to be.

What advice would you give high school students about college and pursuing a career?

While you are in college do not be afraid to take risks and do things that are outside of your comfort zone. Remember that it is okay to fall because sometimes you will end up in some cool destinations.

Do your research about the career you are wanting to pursue early so that you know you are making the right decision. Take classes that will help you meet general education requirements while also allowing you the opportunity to explore majors you are considering.

Share a bit of your perspective that correlates to being an Upward Bound alumni and how it helped with college/ career?

Upward Bound will always hold a special place in heart and I could not put into words how grateful I am for my experience with the program. UB provided me with the tools and resources I needed to make my first year of college stress free. From learning how to advocate for myself, financial aid information and my classes I took while in the Bridge program I was able to see first hand what college was going to look like for me. The support system I got through the staff believing in me was what motivated me to want to pursue further degrees and ultimately set me on the path to want to pursue a career in TRIO.

Upward Bound and Upward Bound Math & Science are 100% federally funded by the U.S. Department of Education and sponsored by Morehead State University.

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