Index of University Press Releases

Nov. 24, 2008

Kernes named President of SD ASPIRE

Yolie Kernes

MITCHELL – Yolie Kernes, director of TRiO Student Support Services at DWU, was sworn in as the 2008 president of the South Dakota Association for Special Programs in Region Eight (ASPIRE) at their annual conference in Fargo last month.

Kernes has been with DWU since 1997.

ASPIRE is one of ten regional associations under the Council for Opportunity in Education (COE) and includes six states: South Dakota, North Dakota, Colorado, Wyoming, Montana and Utah. Its mission is to increase the educational and success opportunities for low-income and first-generation college students through professional development and legislative advocacy. All schools with TRiO programs are members.

COE represents more than 1,000 colleges, universities, community colleges and agencies that offer federally-funded TRiO programs to expand college opportunity for low-income, first-generation and disabled students.

TRiO is a pipeline of federal programs that encourage students of all ages to aspire to, attend and complete college. TRiO serves pre-college students, college students, veterans and returning adult students, supplying the mentoring, academic support and college admissions and financial aid information needed to obtain a college education.

For more information about ASPIRE, visit www.aspireonline.org. For more information about DWU’s TRiO Student Success Center, visit www.dwu.edu/studentservices.