RISE To The Top Southern Miss

05/21/2026

RISE To The Top! staff and alum, Taylor, have been attending the Southeast Postsecondary Education Alliance Conference in New Orleans! Taylor was awarded the Debra Hart Leadership Award, which recognizes a student in an IPSE program in the southeast area who has demonstrated outstanding leadership skills at his or her college or university. What a HUGE honor this recognition is for Taylor and our program. We are so proud of Taylor!

05/16/2026

RISE To The Top! has had such an eventful and rewarding week! Alongside our incredible RISE students, we also celebrated the graduation of our outstanding RISE Partners and volunteers.

What a bittersweet moment this has been. RISE would not thrive without the dedication, compassion, and support of these amazing students. Thank you for the impact you’ve made and the lives you’ve touched along the way.

We are so proud of each of you and can’t wait to see all that you accomplish as you step into your next chapter. Once a part of RISE, always a part of the family! 💛

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05/15/2026

Today, history was made for RISE To The Top! & The University of Southern Mississippi! 💛🖤🎓

After nearly 10 years of hard work, advocacy, and believing in what is possible, we celebrated our FIRST EVER graduates — congratulations to Dan and Taylor!

This milestone represents so much more than a graduation. It represents a village of families, faculty, staff, Student Partners, supporters, university partners, and advocates who helped make this dream a reality. RISE To The Top! is incredibly grateful for the unwavering support from USM, as well as the guidance and encouragement from Think College throughout this journey.

Dan and Taylor, you will always hold a special place in RISE history as our first graduates. Thank you for helping pave the way for the students who will follow behind you. We are so proud of you and cannot wait to see what comes next. ✨SMTTT!

05/14/2026

https://www.wdam.com/2026/05/14/just-soar-with-rise-youll-get-there-usm-rise-program-introduces-first-graduates/
You might have seen some familiar faces on WDAM! Thanks to WDAM 7 for reaching out to USM Communications wanting to feature our program! Tomorrow is the day we have all been waiting for!

“RISE To The Top helped me soar to reach this moment,” Carley said. “It’s hard to believe that four years ago as I started, I always imagined this day, what would happen, walking across that stage, and I just can’t believe it’s here.”

05/12/2026

https://www.usm.edu/news/2026/releases/rise-graduates.php
Graduation week is officially upon us! Years of work for our students and our program has led to this milestone moment! We are excited for our 2 seniors to officially become USM Alumni on Friday! Thanks to USM Communications for featuring our 2 graduating seniors!

Taylor Carley and Dan Lewis will reach personal milestones this spring as they complete the RISE To the Top! program at The University of Southern Mississippi.

05/06/2026

Today was another milestone for our program as our seniors presented their final practicum projects. Projects included developing a video series, SOAR with RISE, to provide inside knowledge and advice to future RISE students and fellow USM students and developing a faculty satisfaction survey to evaluate their experience of collaborating with RISE and having a RISE student in their course. Thanks to Laura Shafer Malone for being our first ever Faculty Advisor for our seniors’ practicum experiences! One step closer to graduation!

05/01/2026

Happy Inclusive Postsecondary Education (IPSE) Day from RISE To The Top! 🎉

This week has been full of meaningful celebrations as we recognize the impact and importance of inclusive postsecondary education including:

🎨 Partnering with the USM Alumni Association for a day where students and student partners painted the little rock on campus
🏛️ Visiting with Governor Tate Reeves as he signed a proclamation recognizing today as Inclusive Postsecondary Education Day
🤝 Celebrating alongside students and staff from Msstate Access and members of the Mississippi Alliance for Inclusive Postsecondary Education during the proclamation signing

Today, we celebrate alongside many other programs and Think College the opportunities, growth, and community that inclusive postsecondary education provides. We are proud to be part of this movement!

04/30/2026

So proud of our RISE Freshman for playing a huge part and having a major role in this incredible opportunity!

Less than a year ago, we roasted our very first batch of coffee.

Today, we’re tasting the world — one bean at a time. ☕🌍

This spring alone, IDS has roasted coffees from across the globe, including Ethiopia, Rwanda, Mexico, Costa Rica, Colombia, Honduras, Guatemala, Peru, Sumatra, Uganda, Tanzania, Papua New Guinea, Sulawesi, and the Dominican Republic.

Every origin tells a story.
Every roast teaches something new.

Week by week, our team studies flavor notes, experiments with roast profiles, and fine-tunes every detail to bring out the best in every bean. What began as a new opportunity has grown into a true craft — built through patience, curiosity, and dedication.

Our Ability Blend is available for purchase now, representing how far we’ve come in less than a year.

And if you think this is exciting… just wait until you see what’s coming later this year. 👀

We’re only getting started. 🙌

04/29/2026

Here are a few teaser photos of what’s to come May 1 for Inclusive Postsecondary Education Day! Stay tuned on May 1 for more pictures and details!!

04/25/2026

Sophomore, Will, has truly had an incredible internship experience with the Southern Miss Student Media! He has achieved so much and has had an experience he truly will never forget! Congratulations to Will and his Student Media team on having a successful SMTV live night!