Happy New Year and welcome to 2021! My name is Melissa Schroeder and I am the new program director for the Nevada Department of Education’s GEAR UP grant. Nevada is and always will be my home, and I am privileged to serve the educational community across the state. I graduated from Eldorado High School (go Sundevils!) in Las Vegas, earned my education degree from UNLV, and have been working in education ever since. I am thrilled to join the Nevada GEAR UP team!
I hope you’ve come into 2021 rested and optimistic for what is in store this year. The beginning of a new year is an excellent time to reflect on the past but also the perfect time to set goals for the future. One of the many goals of the Nevada GEAR UP program is to continue to engage with students in meaningful ways that uncover their potential and inspire them to be college and career ready. We were faced with many challenges last year, and we will continue to bear the impacts of the pandemic in the months to come. Despite these challenges, we must continue to look for opportunities to achieve our goals. The Nevada GEAR UP team has been hard at work creating new ways to connect that include virtual College Corners, virtual mentoring and tutoring through our partnership with the Student Success Agency, virtual college tours, monthly newsletters, and much more. I encourage you to engage with us through social media and to get to know the First Year College Advisors and the GEAR UP Specialists at your schools. As we begin our journey into 2021, the GEAR UP team remains committed to helping our students set and achieve their goals for college and career success. 2021, here we come!
