Sixty-nine Spiro ninth grade GEAR UP students recently toured UAFS (University of Arkansas Fort Smith). Upon arrival, student ambassadors MiKayliegh Norris, Fatima Bonilla, and Abigail Powloshi introduced students to the heart of the campus, the Smith-Pendergraft CC (Campus Center), and provided an overview of UAFS. The CC is home to student aid and financial services, campus bookstore, student activities center, and food court. After the presentation, students toured the campus, visiting Boreham Library, Windgate Art and Design, Baldor Technology Center, and the Donald W. Reynolds Plaza, Tower, and Campus Green, an outdoor area for many student activities and gatherings.
The field trip was sponsored by Eastern Oklahoma State College GEAR UP. Eastern received a $17 million federal GEAR UP grant in 2017, and will serve more than 3,000 students in 39 area schools for seven years.