Wendy Martinez
Wendy Martinez, a University of Wyoming political science/French student from Laramie, is among 30 students nationwide selected for the first GEAR UP Alumni Leadership Academy (GUALA) -- a 12-month development program.
The leadership development program is for alumni of the federal GEAR UP program. The selected students will travel to Washington, D.C., in June, for a weeklong retreat for leadership skills training and to learn grassroots and social media advocacy. Academy participants will return to create positive education policy changes for their younger peers.
“The GEAR UP Alumni Leadership Academy is a new program to engage alumni in a national effort to educate lawmakers and the public about the value of investing in targeted college access and success services,” says Sara Whittle, GEAR UP project coordinator in UW’s Student Educational Opportunity office. “Using personal stories, alumni leaders will articulate the impact GEAR UP had on their success in postsecondary education.”
GEAR UP (Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs) is a federally funded college access and success program serving approximately 700,000 low-income students across 43 states and three territories. GEAR UP Wyoming, located at UW, serves 2,269 students statewide.
The program serves students beginning in seventh grade, and follows them through high school graduation or their first year of post-secondary education. GEAR UP programs are designed to meet local educational needs. Services include academic tutoring, financial literacy, FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) completion, college campus tours and parent engagement programs.
This past semester, Martinez interned with the Wyoming State Legislature in Cheyenne. She also represented Mexico as a Model United Nations delegate at UW. Martinez is fluent in Spanish, English and French.
GUALA is offered by the National Council for Community and Education Partnerships, the GEAR UP program’s national training and technical assistance provider. The Kresge Foundation provides funding for the program.
For more information about GEAR UP Wyoming, call (307) 766-6189 or email gearupwy@uwyo.edu.
