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November 25, 2009

Southwest Association of Student Assistance Programs recognizes Brumfield

Officials with the Southwest Association of Student Assistance Programs honored University of Louisiana at Monroe Vice President for Student Affairs Dr. Wayne Brumfield with an award at their regional conference in November.

Brumfield joined four other honorees from across the region recognized for their participation in TRIO Programs, as well as their exemplary academic, professional and community accomplishments.

Arthur Watson of Arkansas, Michael Lopez of New Mexico, Rep. Anastasia Pittman of Oklahoma and Ericka Ledford of Texas all joined Brumfield, who represented the state of Louisiana, at the early November luncheon in Corpus Christi, Texas. Brumfield is now in consideration for the National TRIO Achiever Award, which will be given in Washington D.C. next year.

Brumfield was the TRIO Achiever for the 2009 Louisiana Association of Student Assistance Programs Conference.

He also attended an engineering Upward Bound program at the University of Wisconsin at Madison during the summer of 1975. He said that program gave him the confidence he could attend college, and it challenged him to go back to high school and take college prep courses that further prepared him for academic success in college

During his college years he worked as a residence hall counselor for the Upward Bound program at University of Louisiana at Lafayette for two summers and assisted first-generation college students with high school to college transition issues

“TRIO programs are important components to improving retention and graduation rates among low socioeconomic and first-generation college students,” said Brumfield. “ I am very fortunate to have had the opportunity to participate in TRIO and equally important, to give back to students who need someone who understand the challenges they face as they matriculate toward their ultimate goal — to be the first in their family to graduate from college.”

Two TRIO Programs are active at ULM: Educational Talent Search, directed by Dr. Catherine Estis, and Upward Bound, directed by Angela Nichols.

“ULM is extremely fortunate to have Dr. Brumfield as a Regional and State TRIO Achiever because of his strong support for first generation and low income students,” said Estis.

Federal TRIO Programs are educational opportunity outreach programs designed to motivate and support students from disadvantaged backgrounds. TRIO includes six outreach and support programs targeted to serve and assist low-income, first-generation college students, and students with disabilities, to progress through the academic pipeline from middle school to post-baccalaureate programs.

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