Sonya Nelson
Assistant Director
TRIO Upward Bound Program
About
“All knowledge is spendable currency, depending on the market” :- Maya Angelou
As a Veteran who served during the Gulf War, Ms. Nelson’s drive for counseling and advocacy was sparked when she was confronted with the lack of emotional support available for the children and youth of service members and veterans. She pursued this path and has earned a Bachelor’s of Arts degree with a concentration in Counseling and Advocacy from DePaul University.
With over 10 years of Office Management and programming experience, Ms. Nelson is instrumental in the development, coordination, and implementation of programs and operations for Upward Bound at UIC. Her role also extends to serving as Residence Director for high school students in the Upward Bound Summer Enrichment program. She uses her academic training and skills acquired through mentoring youth in holistic and secular environments to provide the residential participants with a collegiate experience. Through the coordination of work study, workshops and other activities she builds a platform that develops interpersonal relationships, critical thinking and a love for learning. This programing also pinpoints and develops internal and external strengths and promotes resiliency. Ms. Nelson knows that knowledge is power and has made assisting others in obtaining that power her life’s ambition.