By: Jose Quirindongo, a 12^th grader at Statesville High School in Statesville, NC and future college student at University of North Carolina at Charlotte 

This is my GEAR UP story. I was born in Providence, Rhode Island to two Puerto Rican parents and I will be the first in my family to attend a university immediately after high school. Since I have been a freshman at Statesville High School in Statesville, North Carolina, I have been an active member of GEAR UP North Carolina. As soon as starting participating in GEAR UP, I noticed all the benefits of being in GEAR UP. So many college readiness sessions and some college visits have completely changed my view of post secondary education. From there on I knew I had to get more involved and inform fellow students about the opportunities present. This summer was outstanding for me and so much was learned.

This summer I was granted a scholarship through GEAR UP, which would allow me to attend the General Henry Hugh Shelton Leadership Challenge held at North Carolina State University. I honestly thought this would just be an experience that I would soon forget. How wrong I was. In just six days, my life was changed forever. I met other students from across the nation. I learned to be an effective leader and I was guided by the five virtues of General Hugh Shelton: Honesty, Integrity, Diversity, Social Responsibility, and Compassion. My team and I went through some very hard experiences such as planning a night event for one-hundred plus people, shoveling fertilizer and hay in a farm, and completing the dreadful high ropes course.

Every student was given a certain day to lead their team; my day was the high ropes course. Many of us were anxious to a certain extent, but I recognized my position as a leader and encouraged the heart of my fellow teammates. In the end, we all completed the course and some of my teammates broke their fear of heights. I even triumphed in the watermelon eating race, for my team to win the grand prize (Hughie the stuffed teddy bear). It was a great experience and my only regret is that it had to end.

Just two weeks later, I attended the NCCEP Youth Congress Session held in Washington D.C. I met so many students from all around the country, and just like the previous experience I would never forget this one. I and four other students from Statesville High represented GEAR UP North Carolina along with other students from other counties. Early in the program we were divided into four groups in which neither of my peers would be in. Once there, I met other students in my group and we all shared our stories. Each team was given the task of creating a presentation associated with their team name; my team was named the “Dream Team.”

I soon saw myself using the leadership skills learned during the Shelton Leadership Challenge. I led my team and we soon had a really good presentation planned out. On the last day we got up on stage and presented in front of and audience surpassing one-thousand-three-hundred GEAR UP officials, coordinators, supervisors, parents and of course the founder of GEAR UP himself. After all the other groups presented, we all got a standing ovation from the crowd. Though this experience I learned that any fear, no matter how big and terrifying it may seem, can be conquered, and any goal no matter how big and far it may seem, can be achieved through hard work, dedication, and determination. 

I would like to give immense thanks to all the GEAR UP participants in the nation for making all of this possible. I would also like to give a very special thank you to my GEAR UP coordinator Joann Graham. GEAR UP has done wonders for me, as it can for every student in the nation. Thanks to GEAR UP I have achieved so much and I do not know what my life would be like without it. 

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