Donavin Brown, a junior at Grand Junction High School and participant in Colorado Mesa University’s TRIO Upward Bound program, has been selected for the STARS @ MIT program. This initiative accepts only 20 students from across the United States each year.
Brown will visit Boston in October to take part in three days of activities at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The event includes hands-on STEM workshops, mentorship from current MIT students, and opportunities to meet with faculty. The program is fully funded and aims to support high-achieving, first-generation students from small towns who are interested in attending top-tier universities.
Brown has participated in CMU’s Upward Bound since finishing eighth grade at East Middle School. With guidance from his advisor Josue Acevedo at Grand Junction High School, he identified MIT as a leading college choice over the summer. After researching ways to engage with the institution, Brown found the STARS @ MIT fly-in program and applied.
Acevedo commented on Brown’s achievements: “Donavin is one of the brightest and most determined students I have ever known, always challenging himself to take on new opportunities to grow. His natural gifts, paired with his compassion for others, make him a shining example of how determination and heart can turn any dream into reality.”
Shelby Burroughs Pryzgoda, Director of Upward Bound at Colorado Mesa University, said: “Donavin embodies the CMU values of courage and curiosity. His hard work, integrity, and determination show that when we support students with passion and purpose, they can achieve opportunities once thought out of reach. We are all proud to see his love of learning recognized at the national level.”
Brown expressed gratitude for his experience: “I never imagined myself getting to visit a highly prestigious institution like MIT, much less being a part of such an exclusive program to do so,” Brown said. “Upward Bound made me realize my academic value to institutions, through many summer college tours, which I can confidently credit for the amazing opportunity I’ve received. I can say with certainty I would not be where I am if I never joined Upward Bound.”
The TRIO Upward Bound program at Colorado Mesa University is federally funded and provides support for first-generation college-bound students.
