RSU Educational Opportunity Center

07/06/2018

05/11/2018

Congratulations to following TRIO EOC seniors at East Central High School, Tulsa.

Nidhi Patel is in the top 10% of her senior class and received the East Central Alumni and Community Foundation Scholarship, the Kiwanis Scholarship, Oklahoma Wesleyan University Scholarship, Talmadge Thompson Memorial Scholarship, and awarded Female Student of Distinction.

Karen Quiroz is in the top 10% of her senior class and received the Antonio Sanchez Memorial Scholarship, Robert and Norma McCreery Scholarship, English Department Award, Science Department Award, and Foreign Language Department Award.

Gisella Andino is in the top 10% of her senior class and received the OSU Academic Opportunity Scholarship, Foreign Language Department Award, Fine Arts Department Award, and Citizenship Award.

Casey Bales is in the top 10% of his senior class and received the OSU Academic Opportunity Scholarship.

Heber Acosta-Gonzalez is in the top 10% of his senior class and received the English Department Award and Cardinal of the Year Award.

Jamee Asberry received the OSU Basketball Full Scholarship.

Berenice Acosta is in the top 10% of her senior class.

Gabriela Hernandez is in the top 10% of her senior class.

Michelle Ruiz-Marmolejo is in the top 10% of her senior class, and received the Foreign Language Department Award.

Anay Hurtado received the Foreign Language Department Award.

Jesus Barajas-Samano received the Foreign Language Department Award.

Jennifer Moreno received the Foreign Language Department Award.

Abbey Burdick received the ORU scholarship.

05/08/2018

CONGRATULATIONS to EOC-TRIO Alumnae Sherrie Sherrick, Mattie Johnston, and Michaela Farrill. They each received the 2017-18 Hill Award at the Inaugural ceremony held Friday, May 4th, 2018. These awards recognize High Impact Leaders and Learners (HILL) among the RSU student body. They recognize accomplishments based on four key areas: commitment, community engagement, influence, and integrity.

01/02/2018

“My Story That Began a New Life”
By Vanessa Crouch

I grew up in a poor and unhealthy environment where my dad was an addict and not around much. As a child I always went to school and made good grades. I first used drugs when I was ten years old and thought it was normal to do. I looked up to my dad and loved him even though he was an addict. He passed away my junior year of high school and I was broken-hearted. After that, I started to follow my dad’s footsteps, selling and using drugs more than before. I ended up missing a lot of school and failed my senior year. I never went back to get my high school diploma and continued to run the streets and do drugs.

By the time I was nineteen I had a felony case for unlawful delivery of controlled dangerous drug. I continued a life of drug addiction and was in and out of jail for three years. After my 8th time in jail, I ended up in prison on a 4 year sentence. While I was in prison I regained my focus. I had a desire to get an education and that is where I first got to know Kyle Davis, Educational specialist with EOC TRIO. Kyle helped me get into GED class where I obtained my GED while incarcerated. I wanted to attend college when released from prison to finish my schooling, Kyle then helped me apply for Federal Student Aid.

I was released from prison in September 2011 and came to His House Ministry Homes in Claremore Oklahoma to get my life together. Kyle assisted me in completing the admissions application to Rogers State University. I was first denied admissions at RSU because of my past convictions but I had a lot of people on my side who wrote recommendation letters. I was accepted into RSU and started attending in August 2012 and graduated with my Associates of Arts Degree in Sociology, May 2016. Kyle and the EOC TRIO Program was there to help with the many steps it took for me to succeed in college. Through Kyle, my RSU family, and the many other people who support me, I see the future full of possibilities.

I am now employed full time with Grand Lake Mental Health Center providing Peer Recovery Support to those who are recovering from drug addictions and mental issues. Without EOC TRIO, my life would be very different and probably not so positive. With EOC, I have a bright vision of my life before me, full of hope and promise. I sincerely thank Kyle Davis. None of this would be possible without the Educational Opportunity Center and TRIO! I am just one of the many people assisted by EOC TRIO. I know that EOC TRIO works!

01/02/2018

“One Day at a Time”
By Tony Williamson

My name is Tony Williamson; I am a 61-year-old man that has been down a hard road. I would like to tell you how one program and group of people have changed my life and given me purpose.
I’ve been in and out of prison half of my life. I could never seem to get a handle on my addictions that have burdened my life for so long. After a 14-year stint in prison, I was sent to a minimum security facility called Clara Waters Correctional in Oklahoma City. While there they would let us attend church services at a place called Redemption church. I met a man named Kris Steele, he is the Director of a program called The Education and Employment Ministry. This is the first man who spoke to me like I mattered. I signed up to attend TEEM for 4 months. During this time, I would learn a better way of handling my life. TEEM prepared me for my next step and a new beginning.
I took several classes during my 4 months, such as how to write a resume, how to get a job, financial literacy, how to be a better person, how to overcome my addictions. I met with Keah McCutchin and Bayonne Pettis with TRIO-EOC. They are a partner of TEEM and two of my biggest cheerleaders. They motivate me to keep on going. I’m currently working with them on completing my GED and going back to college. It’s nice to finally have a group of people working so hard to help me succeed and accomplish my goals.
While I was attending TEEM as a participant, they had a toy drive. The employees of TEEM purchased gifts for my two grand-kids so I could give them something for Christmas. I was so touched by their kind gesture, I told Kris the Director that I would come back when I got out and volunteer to repay them for everything they did for me. I kept my promise! My first day as a free man I went TEEM to volunteer, I took out the trash and cleaned up around the place. I did this every day for 120 days, never missing a day. On day 121 I came in like always to sign in on the volunteer sheet. They told me not to sign in today. I thought to myself “Have I done something wrong?” They said “We want you to sign in on the employee sign-in sheet.” They took me down stairs and introduced me to my new office. On the door was a beautiful name plate that said, “Tony Williamson- Building Supervisor”. These people have changed my life. All I want to do is pay it forward. I plan on finishing my GED and going back to college. From there my goal is to become a Case Manager at TEEM. I want to help people turn their lives around like all of these people have done for me. One step at a time.