HOPE/TEXARKANA, AR – March 10, 2022
The University of Arkansas Hope-Texarkana TRIO Upward Bound staff selects one student to honor during the Annual TRIO Day celebration. This honoree exemplifies what it means to be a TRIO Upward Bound student and is awarded a spot in the TRIO Hall of Fame. Montavius Eason, a Hope High School senior, was selected for the award this year.
TRIO programs were created as part of the Educational Opportunity Act of 1964. The first TRIO program designed was called Upward Bound. Across the country, many programs celebrate “National TRIO Day,” a day to commemorate the annual achievements of the Federal TRIO programs.
Montavius is the son of Latonya Youngblood and Marcus Eason of Hope. He is a member of TRIO Upward Bound at UAHT and the National Honors Society, Student Focus, and president of the student council at Hope High School. Eason’s goals include graduating from HHS with honors, receiving a full academic scholarship, and being the first in his family to graduate college. “To achieve this goal, I am taking the necessary steps, such as taking college courses while in high school,” Eason said. “My determination and self-motivation to succeed are not only for me but for my community as well. I want to serve as an example for my community. Being black in a low-income community is tough. No matter how hard you try, it seems like the world is against you. For this reason, many black high school graduates in my community never consider going to college to help better their future. I hope that I will be able to inspire those around me to choose education as a way to break this cycle.”
Eason credits TRIO for giving him the guidance and opportunity to explore college as an option. “Like most of the people in my community, I was raised by a single parent. My mother does not have a degree, and like my peers, I did not have any aspirations for college. But TRIO gave me the opportunity I needed to see college as an option. Not only did the advisers help me, but they made college feel possible. They cared about my dreams and saw the potential that I could not always see in myself. Whether it was essays, homework, or college applications, they were there to help. The atmosphere at TRIO meetings makes me feel like we are a family.”
“I will always be grateful for TRIO and the Upward-Bound staff. I could not have gotten as far as I have today without their guidance. Now I know first-hand that there are ways to get where you want to be in life, and there are people that care and want nothing more than to see you succeed.”
Eason plans to pursue a degree in mechanical engineering at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville. “Once I earn my degree, I plan to gain experience in the automotive engineering field and go on to become a successful African American entrepreneur by opening my own engineering company,” he said.
“Montavius is a standout student,” Dr. Nicole D. Woods, Director of Upward Bound, said. “He has maintained a 4.0 GPA in high school and concurrent courses at UAHT while balancing co-curricular activities, volunteering, athletics, and a part-time job. We are so proud of him and look forward to assisting with his transition to the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville.”
For more information about TRIO Upward Bound at UAHT, visit our website at https://www.uaht.edu/upward-bound/.