Rattan ninth and tenth grade Eastern Oklahoma State GEAR UP students recently participated in a virtual tour of the University of Texas, Austin, hosted by FOCUS Training representative Latrell Armstrong. The Zoom conference began with a welcome from Armstrong. Students were then given an overview of the university, including admission requirements, housing, cost, and student life, from University Representative Lupita Rodriguez. Rodriguez gave students a virtual tour of the campus and discussed important buildings they would need to be familiar with as a freshman. Following the talk, students were given an opportunity to ask questions about college in general with Armstrong. Armstrong discussed the importance of making an excellent first impression on the tours and the admission process.
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 over 3,000 students in 39 area schools for seven years.
