Greetings Upward Boundians!

My name is Kyle Vadner. I have been invited to help your Upward Bound program be the best that it can be! I have been an Upward Bound Advisor for the last 11 years at the Anoka Ramsey Community College program in Coon Rapids. Before that I worked as a summer Intern at Itasca Community College in Grand Rapids, MN. I graduated from Bemidji State University with a Bachelors in Psychology and grew up in Forest Lake, MN. In my free time you’d find me hanging out with my cat, Sully or four wheeling with my wife, Emily.

My favorite part of working with Upward Bound is planning awesome experiences for our students. The biggest summer trip I ever helped plan was taking our whole group down to New Orleans where we toured floats they use to celebrate Mardi Gras and swam in the ocean! While I can’t promise that we’ll be going that far for a trip any time soon. I will say that there are some great opportunities planned for you this summer. I hope you can come up and introduce yourself to me sometime throughout the summer!

My go-to advice for any UB students is “You get out of Upward Bound, what you put into Upward Bound.” So I hope this summer you all take advantage of the opportunity to have to invest in yourself. Learn about colleges, learn new skills, step outside your comfort zone, make some friends, and most of all have fun! I’m looking forward to getting to know all of you!

Hi everyone! My name is Danny (he/him), and I’m so excited to be back with the TRIO Upward Bound Program. I first joined TRIO as a student and graduated from the program in 2019. Since then, I’ve had the chance to return to different roles while working toward my degree at Southwest Minnesota State University, where I graduated with a degree in Elementary Education. TRIO has given me so many opportunities over the years, and now my goal is to give back and help create the same kinds of experiences for others. When I’m not working with students, you can usually find me reading (comic books), listening to podcasts or music, or out hiking and enjoying the outdoors. I’m really looking forward to what’s ahead and can’t wait to get to know everyone! 

Hello everyone! I’m Dannica (she/her) and I am so happy to be a part of the TRIO Upward Bound program. I earned my bachelor’s degree in Biology in May of 2022, but I plan to continue my education journey in the future. In my leisure time I enjoy reading, gardening, listening to records, and working on home projects. I like to hang out at home with my husband Cody and our two German shepherds or to go out hiking with them. 

I am an alumnus of the TRIO program and enjoy helping others overcome barriers to higher education. I am excited to share the experience I have gained and help students achieve their education goals! I can’t wait to meet you all!

Hello!

My name is Amanda Spencer (she/her) and I am happy to be the Braham and Mora TRIO Upward Bound Advisor! I have worked for other colleges within the Minnesota State for the past 14 years, so I come with experience in advising, admissions, student life and financial aid. I earned my bachelor’s degree in Business Management from Southwest Minnesota State University. In my free time, I enjoy playing softball, golfing, both open water and ice fishing, and just spending time with my family and friends. I look forward to helping the TRIO students prepare for college and reach their educational and personal goals!

Hi! My name is Ace (he/him) and my history with Trio Upward Bound dates back to 2015. I’m a former North Branch student that went on to earn my Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies & Philosophy from Gustavus Adolphus College. My experience in Trio was so transformative that I returned to the program to help others much like how I was helped. Besides the work I do for Upward Bound I’ve got experience in sales, data-entry, transportation, environmental advocacy, and more. When not at work, I can be found in the kitchen trying out new recipes, annoying my cat, Miles, enjoying the outdoors, or playing guitar. 

Don’t ever hesitate to reach out if you ever need assistance or just want to chat! The best part of my job is the students I get to know and help!