Madison GEAR UP/EIP Program
Getting ready for college
Getting ready for college
| Heidi M. Pascual* Publisher & Editor * 2006 Journalist of the Year for the State of Wisconsin (U.S.-SBA) |
On May 27, the 9th annual Recognition Banquet of the
Dept. of Public Instruction’s Madison GEAR UP/ EIP Program
was again held at the Lowell Center. It was an event honoring
students of color whose focus was higher grades and higher
education. Program participants coming from Madison middle
and high schools numbering more than a hundred, came with
smiling parents and family members.
GEAR UP (Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for
Undergraduate Programs) is an early intervention program that
prepares students for school achievement and higher
education through workshops and field trips. Workshops include
topics such as “Dress for Success,” “Community Service,” “Get
Set for College,” “Goal Settting,” “Financial Aid,” “Money
Management,” and “Precollege Programs and Scholarship,”
“UW-Madison PEOPLE Program & ITA,” among others. The
participants were also taken to selected colleges/universities,
such as the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, Winona State
University, UW-Platteville, UW-Madison, Edgewood College,
UW-Oshkosh, and UW-Whitewater, for them to have a “feel” of
being in a higher education setting. It wasn’t all serious stuff
though, because the students had fun (and educational
experiences, as well) at the Minnesota Zoo, 1776 Musical,
Minnesota History Museum, and at Boulders Rock Climbing. In
additionl to these workshops and field trips, GEAR UP students
were also entitled to tutoring and counseling, as well as job
shadowing throughout the year.
Student participants were recognized for their achievement
in school (GPA, good attendance, punctuality, good conduct,
and percentage of participation in GEAR UP activities
throughout the year).
Kabzuag Vaj delivered the keynote address. She spoke
about her life as a Hmong daughter and woman, and inspired
the students by telling them that she is getting paid for doing
what she wants to do: advocating for women. “Believe in
yourself,” Vaj said. “You can do anything and realize your
dream but you have to work hard at it.”
Dept. of Public Instruction’s Madison GEAR UP/ EIP Program
was again held at the Lowell Center. It was an event honoring
students of color whose focus was higher grades and higher
education. Program participants coming from Madison middle
and high schools numbering more than a hundred, came with
smiling parents and family members.
GEAR UP (Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for
Undergraduate Programs) is an early intervention program that
prepares students for school achievement and higher
education through workshops and field trips. Workshops include
topics such as “Dress for Success,” “Community Service,” “Get
Set for College,” “Goal Settting,” “Financial Aid,” “Money
Management,” and “Precollege Programs and Scholarship,”
“UW-Madison PEOPLE Program & ITA,” among others. The
participants were also taken to selected colleges/universities,
such as the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, Winona State
University, UW-Platteville, UW-Madison, Edgewood College,
UW-Oshkosh, and UW-Whitewater, for them to have a “feel” of
being in a higher education setting. It wasn’t all serious stuff
though, because the students had fun (and educational
experiences, as well) at the Minnesota Zoo, 1776 Musical,
Minnesota History Museum, and at Boulders Rock Climbing. In
additionl to these workshops and field trips, GEAR UP students
were also entitled to tutoring and counseling, as well as job
shadowing throughout the year.
Student participants were recognized for their achievement
in school (GPA, good attendance, punctuality, good conduct,
and percentage of participation in GEAR UP activities
throughout the year).
Kabzuag Vaj delivered the keynote address. She spoke
about her life as a Hmong daughter and woman, and inspired
the students by telling them that she is getting paid for doing
what she wants to do: advocating for women. “Believe in
yourself,” Vaj said. “You can do anything and realize your
dream but you have to work hard at it.”
| (Above) Students get awards for school achievement and active participation in GEAR UP/EIP programs this past year; (left) Kabzuag Vaj was the keynote speaker. |
by Debby Tewes
Asian Wisconzine correspondent in Milwaukee
In a previous article in Asian Wisconzine, I spoke about the reasons the people come to America and how important it is to vote to honor
that history. The reasons people leave behind all that is familiar are as diverse and individual as the people themselves, but typically,
immigrants come here seeking a better life or opportunities that might not have been available to them or were denied them for political
reasons.
Recently, I had the opportunity to meet two young people who came to America to pursue a dream of educational opportunities and
careers that aren’t readily available in their homeland. They are pursuing opportunities for careers that they could not see — quite literally
— in their homeland of Pakistan. Imran and his sister Hina came to Waukesha, Wis. to attend Carroll College. Both siblings were born blind.
Their optic nerves are damaged due to a rare birth defect. They have a tentative diagnosis of Leber’s Congenital Amaurosis (LCA).
Hina is the older of the two, age 24, and Imran is 23. They live in the dorms at Carroll College, and while the campus community has been
supportive and accepting, they face challenges not experienced by typical college students. Hina and Imran are both studying computer
science and have adapted to life on campus well; but there are things that they miss and have problems with. The first thing they miss and
we chuckled over, was access to traditional foods. They are Muslim and have certain dietary requirements as proscribed by their faith. So
food can be problematic. They both laughed and said they eat a lot of cheese pizza and vegetables but they miss the traditional spices
that they grew up with. They occasionally eat chicken and fish but other meats are not “kosher,” a term that Imran used, and I was startled by
this. Muslim dietary law is very similar to kosher (Jewish dietary law) restrictions and strictly speaking, in Islamic tradition, it is called halal.
With the typical American diet and dormitory food, you can imagine the struggle they face. They are only allowed a microwave in their
dorm rooms so cooking traditional food can be difficult. The other difficulty, of course, is getting to a grocery store to find the ingredients!
We as Americans, especially sighted Americans, have no concept of how disabilities are viewed in other countries. Both Imran and Hina
were well educated, but their career options were limited in Pakistan. They grew up in Sindh Province and spoke both Urdu and Punjabi.
They also learned English via tapes and learned to read Braille as children. They can read Braille in Urdu and English but use adaptive
technology to utilize their computers. Hina majored in English Literature and eventually went into Mass Communication. Her career path
would probably have led to her becoming a teacher or perhaps a news reporter, but employment of people with disabilities in Pakistan is
not widely accepted. Imran wanted to study law but was steered away from this so he studied Mass Communication also and thought he’d
like to become a radio producer or write articles for news outlets.
Their family in Pakistan is considered middle class. Their father runs an auto parts business and their mother runs the household. The
family moved from the small village where they were born to Rawalpindi and eventually to Lahore so the children would have access to the
best possible educational opportunities. They have a younger brother and sister back home who are normally sighted. They are able to
keep in touch with the family via email and Skype calls on their computers.
During their schooling in Pakistan, they faced problems with taking exams because the only option available to blind students was to
hire a younger student to read the questions to them and then they dictated answers to the reader. This was inconvenient, as it prevented
the opportunity to go back and review their answers and had no way of knowing if the younger student was actually writing the correct
answers or misspelling words. Imran and Hina were proud of the fact that they were able to convince the Federal Education Board in
Pakistan to provide exams in Braille for blind students. Imran mentioned that there currently are no library resources in Pakistan for people
with visual impairment, something he hopes he can help remedy.
They were studying at the University of Lahore when they began a correspondence with a blind American, Gerald Clark, of Port Huron,
Mich. They met via a magazine named Matilda Ziegler, a publication for the visually impaired. Again, I learned something I’d never
known. This magazine has been around since 1907 and benefited Helen Keller at one point. Matilda Ziegler, the wife of a scientific
researcher and the mother of a blind son, offered to underwrite the cost of the publication and her endowment continues to support its
printing and online presence. Mr. Clark is older but enjoyed exchanging tapes with Imran and Hina as it gave him a window to a world he
could only experience through the tapes they sent to each other. Mr. Clark had some heart problems and visited a cardiologist in Michigan,
Dr. Sohail Akthar Hasan. He told Dr. Hasan of his friends in Pakistan and discovered that Dr. Hasan was also Pakistani. While skeptical at first,
Dr. Hasan met Hina and Imran on a trip home to Pakistan and was convinced of their passion to come here to study. They have an uncle in
Waukesha whose daughter attended Carroll College, but they don’t see him often because he runs a small business that keeps him busy all
day. During their summer vacation, they hope to travel to Michigan and meet Mr. Clark in person.
As I mentioned earlier, Hina and Imran face other challenges here in Wisconsin. They found sponsors for their first two years at Carroll
College, but now need to raise funds for their final year. They also dream of pursuing advanced degrees and perhaps ultimately obtaining
visas that will allow them to work in the U.S.
My friend Gul Afshan and her husband Anders have helped them and taken them to appointments if needed. Dr. Violeta Singson’s clinic
provided them with free medical exams and they hope to schedule eye exams at some point in the future. Hina and Imran were very
grateful for the kindness shown them at the clinic. Hina also has weakness in her left arm that probably is related to LCA and had physical
therapy while living in Pakistan. Her mom ensured that the physical therapy was continued at home, but she would like to continue to
receive therapy here.
With a degree in Computer Science, Imran hopes to write technical manuals and also dreams of designing software that will “read” Urdu
for the visually impaired. He knows how difficult it was for him and his sister to complete their education and by developing software that
can scan and “read” the Urdu language, literature and textbooks will become available to other students struggling as he and Hina did.
These two talented and charming young people are working very hard to make the most of the opportunities they find here. The cost of
tuition is worrisome for them though and we are trying to find sources of funding for them. Both of them love to write and Hina especially
loves to write poetry. Imran gets excited about writing technical articles and both are very well spoken and excited about their future. Both
want to help provide opportunities for children in their homeland who would not otherwise have access to the technology to learn about the
world outside their homes. Ultimately, they would love to go to a graduate school that specializes in their chosen field, but are very grateful
to Carroll College for the possibilities it has given them.
I am passionate about the importance of education in helping provide better lives for people in areas where they might not have access
to a school or, as in the case of those with disabilities, access to the technology that allows them an education. This is clearly a case of
education helping to improve the lives of many and from those who have lived through the difficulty, they are trying to prevent others from
having to go through what they struggled with.
Education also tends to make extremist doctrines far less attractive. Extremism feeds on hopelessness and Imran and Hina are proof that
hope lives.
Asian Wisconzine correspondent in Milwaukee
In a previous article in Asian Wisconzine, I spoke about the reasons the people come to America and how important it is to vote to honor
that history. The reasons people leave behind all that is familiar are as diverse and individual as the people themselves, but typically,
immigrants come here seeking a better life or opportunities that might not have been available to them or were denied them for political
reasons.
Recently, I had the opportunity to meet two young people who came to America to pursue a dream of educational opportunities and
careers that aren’t readily available in their homeland. They are pursuing opportunities for careers that they could not see — quite literally
— in their homeland of Pakistan. Imran and his sister Hina came to Waukesha, Wis. to attend Carroll College. Both siblings were born blind.
Their optic nerves are damaged due to a rare birth defect. They have a tentative diagnosis of Leber’s Congenital Amaurosis (LCA).
Hina is the older of the two, age 24, and Imran is 23. They live in the dorms at Carroll College, and while the campus community has been
supportive and accepting, they face challenges not experienced by typical college students. Hina and Imran are both studying computer
science and have adapted to life on campus well; but there are things that they miss and have problems with. The first thing they miss and
we chuckled over, was access to traditional foods. They are Muslim and have certain dietary requirements as proscribed by their faith. So
food can be problematic. They both laughed and said they eat a lot of cheese pizza and vegetables but they miss the traditional spices
that they grew up with. They occasionally eat chicken and fish but other meats are not “kosher,” a term that Imran used, and I was startled by
this. Muslim dietary law is very similar to kosher (Jewish dietary law) restrictions and strictly speaking, in Islamic tradition, it is called halal.
With the typical American diet and dormitory food, you can imagine the struggle they face. They are only allowed a microwave in their
dorm rooms so cooking traditional food can be difficult. The other difficulty, of course, is getting to a grocery store to find the ingredients!
We as Americans, especially sighted Americans, have no concept of how disabilities are viewed in other countries. Both Imran and Hina
were well educated, but their career options were limited in Pakistan. They grew up in Sindh Province and spoke both Urdu and Punjabi.
They also learned English via tapes and learned to read Braille as children. They can read Braille in Urdu and English but use adaptive
technology to utilize their computers. Hina majored in English Literature and eventually went into Mass Communication. Her career path
would probably have led to her becoming a teacher or perhaps a news reporter, but employment of people with disabilities in Pakistan is
not widely accepted. Imran wanted to study law but was steered away from this so he studied Mass Communication also and thought he’d
like to become a radio producer or write articles for news outlets.
Their family in Pakistan is considered middle class. Their father runs an auto parts business and their mother runs the household. The
family moved from the small village where they were born to Rawalpindi and eventually to Lahore so the children would have access to the
best possible educational opportunities. They have a younger brother and sister back home who are normally sighted. They are able to
keep in touch with the family via email and Skype calls on their computers.
During their schooling in Pakistan, they faced problems with taking exams because the only option available to blind students was to
hire a younger student to read the questions to them and then they dictated answers to the reader. This was inconvenient, as it prevented
the opportunity to go back and review their answers and had no way of knowing if the younger student was actually writing the correct
answers or misspelling words. Imran and Hina were proud of the fact that they were able to convince the Federal Education Board in
Pakistan to provide exams in Braille for blind students. Imran mentioned that there currently are no library resources in Pakistan for people
with visual impairment, something he hopes he can help remedy.
They were studying at the University of Lahore when they began a correspondence with a blind American, Gerald Clark, of Port Huron,
Mich. They met via a magazine named Matilda Ziegler, a publication for the visually impaired. Again, I learned something I’d never
known. This magazine has been around since 1907 and benefited Helen Keller at one point. Matilda Ziegler, the wife of a scientific
researcher and the mother of a blind son, offered to underwrite the cost of the publication and her endowment continues to support its
printing and online presence. Mr. Clark is older but enjoyed exchanging tapes with Imran and Hina as it gave him a window to a world he
could only experience through the tapes they sent to each other. Mr. Clark had some heart problems and visited a cardiologist in Michigan,
Dr. Sohail Akthar Hasan. He told Dr. Hasan of his friends in Pakistan and discovered that Dr. Hasan was also Pakistani. While skeptical at first,
Dr. Hasan met Hina and Imran on a trip home to Pakistan and was convinced of their passion to come here to study. They have an uncle in
Waukesha whose daughter attended Carroll College, but they don’t see him often because he runs a small business that keeps him busy all
day. During their summer vacation, they hope to travel to Michigan and meet Mr. Clark in person.
As I mentioned earlier, Hina and Imran face other challenges here in Wisconsin. They found sponsors for their first two years at Carroll
College, but now need to raise funds for their final year. They also dream of pursuing advanced degrees and perhaps ultimately obtaining
visas that will allow them to work in the U.S.
My friend Gul Afshan and her husband Anders have helped them and taken them to appointments if needed. Dr. Violeta Singson’s clinic
provided them with free medical exams and they hope to schedule eye exams at some point in the future. Hina and Imran were very
grateful for the kindness shown them at the clinic. Hina also has weakness in her left arm that probably is related to LCA and had physical
therapy while living in Pakistan. Her mom ensured that the physical therapy was continued at home, but she would like to continue to
receive therapy here.
With a degree in Computer Science, Imran hopes to write technical manuals and also dreams of designing software that will “read” Urdu
for the visually impaired. He knows how difficult it was for him and his sister to complete their education and by developing software that
can scan and “read” the Urdu language, literature and textbooks will become available to other students struggling as he and Hina did.
These two talented and charming young people are working very hard to make the most of the opportunities they find here. The cost of
tuition is worrisome for them though and we are trying to find sources of funding for them. Both of them love to write and Hina especially
loves to write poetry. Imran gets excited about writing technical articles and both are very well spoken and excited about their future. Both
want to help provide opportunities for children in their homeland who would not otherwise have access to the technology to learn about the
world outside their homes. Ultimately, they would love to go to a graduate school that specializes in their chosen field, but are very grateful
to Carroll College for the possibilities it has given them.
I am passionate about the importance of education in helping provide better lives for people in areas where they might not have access
to a school or, as in the case of those with disabilities, access to the technology that allows them an education. This is clearly a case of
education helping to improve the lives of many and from those who have lived through the difficulty, they are trying to prevent others from
having to go through what they struggled with.
Education also tends to make extremist doctrines far less attractive. Extremism feeds on hopelessness and Imran and Hina are proof that
hope lives.
Hina and Imran
A door opens at Carroll College
A door opens at Carroll College
Siblings Hina and
Imran were born
blind.
Imran were born
blind.