Page 4 - Spring 2019

The Bronx Institute at Lehman College • Bronx GEAR UP Network
www.TheBronxInstitute.org
ON NOVEMBER 20TH, THE BRONX GEAR UP NETWORK PARTNERED WITH THE NEW YORK BOTANICAL GARDEN IN ORDER TO GIVE STUDENTS AND FAMILIES A ONE-OF-A-KIND OPPORTUNITY TO ATTEND THE NEW YORK BOTANICAL GARDEN’S ANNUAL HOLIDAY TRAIN SHOW. BEAUTIFUL MODELS OF REAL-LIFE TRAINS FROM A PAST ERA AND RECOGNIZABLE NEW YORK CITY LOCATIONS DEC- ORATED THE EXHIBIT, WHICH WAS ACCENTUATED BY BLOOMING PLANTS, A MESMERIZING WATERFALL, AND METICULOUSLY BUILT STRUCTURES. THESE MODELS AND STRUCTURES WERE CREATED BY PAUL BUSSE, WHO ALSO MADE THE VERY FIRST TRAIN SHOW IN 1992. PONCE DE LEON FEDERAL BANK DELIVERED A VISUAL PRESENTATION ABOUT SAVING MONEY FOR A CHILD’S EDUCATION AND THE IMPORTANCE OF CREATING A SAVINGS ACCOUNT IN ORDER TO HELP EASE THE FINANCIAL STRAIN OF COLLEGE. OUR GEAR UP FAMILIES APPRECIATED BOTH THE BEAUTY OF THE SHOW AND THE INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THE WORKSHOP.
“I’m very grateful that my family and I have gotten the opportunity to go to the Holiday Train Show. The format, the layout, everything felt like it was geared towards us. And it’s great to feel like we have the place to ourselves. As a single mom, I wouldn’t have been able to come see the show without GEAR UP’s help. I think it’s great that the GEAR UP program encourages children to start thinking about college from the minute they get into high school. Usually, students get so caught up in Regents that they don’t think about what comes next. The bank presentation was also very informative on preparing for college finan- cially and the importance of opening a savings account. A good piece of advice we got was to look at less expensive colleges because a Bachelor’s degree is the same no matter where it comes from.”
Tarin Rivera - Parent
“I think the Holiday Train Show event is a good opportunity for the people that can’t come here normally. The train show itself is a great way to put yourself in a happy mindset, have fun and take lots of pictures. The bank workshop was also interesting. It had a lot of information for people who don’t really know it. It was great to be able to learn something here, unlike most people who just come here for the trains. The GEAR UP program itself is fantastic. It helps a lot of kids get up to speed. It’s also a place to go and meet new friends, which is always a good thing. I still have to figure out where I want to go and what I want to do for college, but the GEAR
UP program is pushing me more towards doing that. A lot of people start out not wanting to go because they think
it will be boring, but once they come, they don’t want
to leave.”
Xavien Vargas - 9th grade, Celia Cruz Bronx High School of Music
“I think the Holiday Train Show is really cool. I’m used to seeing the newer models of trains, so seeing how older trains used to look is neat. The model could have looked terrible, but the people who made this did a great job. I’m seriously impressed. Seeing the trains go on their routes is satisfying, and it’s a great opportunity for good pictures and video. If you look closely at the trains, you can even see what they’re carrying. It’s a great way to see how old trains were made. In this game that I’m playing, Red Dead Redemption 2, you can pull heists on trains and get resources from them. I was actually playing the game before coming, and it’s really cool to see what was actually on old trains that would be considered valuable.”
Kenyon Cooper - 9th grade, KAPPA
“I think the Holiday Train Show is beautiful. II love that they have iconic places that I actually know in the show, like the Rockefeller Center with the Christmas tree lighting, or Van Cortlandt, which is right in my backyard! It’s also a learning experience. Half of these things were built before my mom was born, so it’s great to see for myself. Some people
don’t want to go to GEAR UP because they think it will be boring, since it’s an educational program; however, activities like the train show make the program more fun and interesting than they think. The faculty is very friendly, and before long it
feels like a family, so you don’t want to leave.”
Stephanie Soto - 10th grade, Celia Cruz Bronx High School of Music
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The Bronx Institute Bronx GEAR UP Network