A dozen students recently received scholarships from Wayne State University during the Academic College Enrichment Services (ACCESS) department's Martin Luther King Jr. Awards and Recognition Ceremony.

The students are affiliated with several different programs at the university. The Educational Opportunity Center is a comprehensive counseling program providing academic, vocational, career and financial aid information to potential first-generation college students who are older than 19, reside in the metro area and want to pursue post-secondary education.

The following three students participate in EOC:

Lourdes Cooney, a 51-year-old junior at WSU majoring in elementary education, received the Dorcas scholarship. A housewife who decided to return to school to pursue a lifelong goal of teaching, Cooney transferred from Wayne County Community College and has invested many hours studying and has a grade-point average (GPA) of 3.0 She is an active member of Holy Redeemer Church where she is a Eucharist minister and tutors in the Get Educationally Motivated program. She has participated in the city of Detroit's Angel Night program. "Life will continue to provide new challenges and once again with the help of God they will be endured and overcome," she said.

Eduardo Guerra was named an ACCESS scholarship recipient. A34-year-old sophomore attending the University of Michigan-Dearborn, Guerra is working on a degree in engineering. In 1996 he entered the Educational Opportunity Center and obtained academic guidance, career information and admission assistance. He has been named to the Dean's list twice with a GPA of4.0. "Up to this point I've managed to maintain a 4.0 grade point and even if I can't sustain this GPA it doesn't matter because I feel that just to have gotten to this point is a victory in itself," he said. "I have a long way to go, but that's not the issue. The point is, I'm working towards achieving a goal."

Calli Hayes received the James Eric Moore Endowed Scholarship. A26-year-old junior at WSU majoring in elementary education, Hayes attended Highland Park Community College and made the Dean's list, graduating with an associate's degree in applied science. She transferred from Marygrove College to WSU in 1996 and enrolled in the College of Lifelong Learning after entering the Educational Opportunity Center. She now is enrolled in the WSU College of Liberal Arts and has a GPA of 2.97. Her community service activities include distributing campaign literature and participating in the city of Detroit's Angel Night the past two years. She said: "What I experienced trying to enroll into WSU taught me the lesson of not giving up and that you can overcome obstacles of any size."

The Higher Education Opportunities Committee-Talent Search Program provides information and assistance on admission to post-secondary education and applying for financial aid to potential first-generation college students,12 to 18 years old who reside in the target area or attend designated Detroit high schools and want to pursue post-secondary education.

These two students participated in this program:

Littiece Jones received the Optimist Youth Foundation Scholar Award. A senior at Northwestern High School, Jones wants to obtain a degree in communications and graduate with high honors. She has participated in the HEOC-Talent Search Program for the past three years and has a 3.85 GPA. She will be valedictorian of her graduating class and has received awards from the National Honor Society, Student Council, Mosaic Youth Theater, Journey of the African American oratorical contest and the Hartford Optimist Club essay/oratorical contest. She is secretary of her graduating class, president of her school's chapter of the National Honor Society and sergeant at arms of the Student Council. "I only want to make myself proud, my family proud, God proud and to contribute to society," she said. "I want to be the very best."

Sabrina Olden received the Optimist Youth Foundation Scholar Award. A senior at Pershing High School, Olden moved frequently as a child and lived in a foster home, with her grandmother and finally an aunt. With a stable and supportive environment she started high school, concentrating on her studies and participating in extracurricular activities. She has a 3.75 GPA and is a member of the golf team, National Honor Society, senior class secretary and vice president of the Young Educators Society. She also is a member of the yearbook staff. She said, "I feel obstacles should only slow someone down, but not stop them. It's amazing to me how many people give up on their dreams. Langston Hughes said it all in his poem A Dream Deferred, `I won't let obstacles interfere with my dreams.'"

The Martin Luther King Jr.-Cesar Chavez-Rosa Parks (KCP) College Day Program offers motivation and informational activities to encourage seventh through 12th grade students in the target schools to complete high school and go to college. Latoyka Burns participated in this program.

Latoyka Burns received an Optimist Youth Foundation Scholar Award. A senior at Southeastern High School, Burns has a 3.36 GPA and demonstrated leadership abilities. She is the vice president of Business Professionals of America, a member of the KCP College Day Vision Club, Young Educators Society and the National Honor Society. Her outside activities keep her active at her church where she is president of the youth adult choir, vice president of the youth department and captain of the cheerleading and softball teams.

Project 350 provides a program of college orientation, instruction, tutoring, academic advising and counseling support to students accepted for admission to WSU who are first-generation college students with educational potential or economic need.

These students participated in Project 350:

LaTasha Burchfield received the James Eric Moore Endowed Scholarship. An education major at WSU, Burchfield entered Project 350 in 1992. After attending school for two years she entered the work force to provide financial support to her aging parents. Burchfield works as a senior training coordinator at IBM and consults at Ford Motor Co. for minority dealer operations. She attends classes and has a 3.04 GPA. "The Project 350 program was a saving grace for me at a time when I had no hope of going on to college," she said. "In September of my senior year of high school my closest sibling was murdered and my academic career suffered greatly. Through the Project 350program I was able to not only prove to WSU that I was more capable of being an excellent student but I was able to prove it to myself."

Vincent Jones received the Noah Brown Scholarship. A pre-physical therapy major at WSU, Jones entered Project 350 in 1996. Currently a junior, he has a 3.61 GPA and works part-time at Daimler-Chrysler. He has been named to the Dean's list and awarded two scholarships - one from WSU as well as the Berry and Bertha Gordy Foundation Scholarship for outstanding Project 350scholars. He is a member of the university's Golden Key National Honor Society chapter and has volunteered at the Detroit Receiving Hospital physical therapy department. "There have been lots of benefits for me as an ACCESS Project 350student," he said. "The benefits which stick out the most are the abundant resources - the academic tutoring, counseling, supporting cast of faculty and the scholarships."

Penelope Nikolakakis received the ACCESS Scholarship Award. An occupational therapy major at WSU, Nikolakakis entered Project 350 in 1995.Her first language is Greek and she is the first person in her family to attend a post-secondary institution. Currently a junior, Nikolakakis has a 3.24 GPA and is a volunteer worker with the Rehabilitation Institute of Michigan where she is a data entry person and works directly with patients. She also has volunteered with the Garden City Hospital occupational therapy department and with the Pan Cretan Youth Association. "As the oldest child I have been pressured to be successful in my schooling and the Project 350 program gave mean opportunity to do so," she said. "I have worked hard the past few years to take advantage of the opportunities presented to me."

Upward Bound provides a program of instruction, tutoring, academic and career guidance, personal counseling and residential life to high school students recruited in 10th, 11th and 12th grades who are potential first-generation college students and attend designated Detroit high schools.

These students are from Upward Bound:

Wendell Cooper received the Wade McCree Tuition and Book Award. A math major at WSU, Cooper entered Upward Bound in 1994. As a model student in the program and at Central High School, Cooper made the honor roll each semester. His high school activities included serving as vice president of the DECA Club and he is a member of the National Honor Society. He graduated with a 3.75 GPA and was awarded a Presidential Scholarship to WSU. Cooper participated in the university's Summer Academy program and is a junior with a 3.80 GPA. He is on the Dean's list and works part-time in the psychology department as a student assistant. "I truly believe that anyone can be whatever they want to be no matter what obstacles may seem too high to overcome," he said.

Jason Davis received the Upward Bound Program Scholarship. A senior at Inkster High School, Davis' educational goals are to attend college, major in computer science and design computer software. He has participated in the program for more than two years and has a 3.18 GPA. An outstanding participant in Upward Bound, Davis works part-time with the Boys and Girls Clubs of Southeastern Michigan and with the Inkster Co-op Program. He is a member of the Black History Club, National Honor Society and the Close-up Program, whose members participate in government activities and visit Washington, D.C. Davis was named 1998 WSU Upward Bound Outstanding Student Leader. "If there is doubt in anyone's mind about the performance of the Upward Bound Program and how it helps students academically and socially they should take a look at me and the other students in the Wayne State University program," he said. "By staying in this program I will reach my ultimate plateau." * The Veterans Educational Opportunities Program provides instruction, academic and career guidance, personal counseling and post-secondary placement of veterans who served in the armed forces from Dec. 31, 1955, to the present. Charles Stokes is a member of this program.

Charles Stokes received the ACCESS Scholarship Award. A 26-year-oldMarine veteran who entered the program in 1997, Stokes graduated from Kettering High School in 1990 and immediately went into the service. Deployed to Somaliato serve in Operation Restore Hope, Stokes received three medals for outstanding duty and was honorably discharged in 1993. He completed automotive repair school in 1994 and obtained an associate's degree from Henry Ford Community College in 1997. Stokes transferred to Wayne State and is a junior with a 3.36 GPA. He is a single father who goes to school and works to support his son. "The VEOP program has stood in my corner to help ensure my success in completing my educational goals," he said. "With all of them supporting me I am destined to succeed."

In addition, several other people were recognized at the ceremony. Staffers Kim Anderson-Brown and Awanda Jefferies received Recognition of Excellence Awards for their efforts and Noah Brown Jr, posthumously was named a Trio Trailblazer. Brown was the university's first African-American vice president of student affairs.