Expands with New Cohorts in Manitowoc, Mishicot
and Two Rivers School Districts
Green Bay, Wis. — Green Bay, Wis.— UW-Green Bay’s Rising Phoenix inaugural program at Manitowoc Lincoln is approaching its final semester with over 90% of students in the cohort being on track to earn an Associate of Arts and Sciences (AAS) degree, signifying high levels of student engagement and academic success. Rising Phoenix is UW-Green Bay’s innovative early college program that allows students to be concurrently enrolled in high school and university during their junior and senior years of high school.
Rising Phoenix continues its expansion as three Manitowoc County school districts will again offer their class of 2024 students an opportunity to earn an AAS degree at the same time as their high school diploma.
“Rising Phoenix demonstrates UW-Green Bay’s commitment to developing ways for additional populations to access higher education,” said UW-Green Bay Chancellor Michael Alexander. “We are thankful for the close collaborations we have established with Manitowoc, Mishicot, and Two Rivers School Districts and look forward to welcoming new cohorts of Rising Phoenix students to UW-Green Bay.”
Rising Phoenix launched in Fall 2020 with twenty-five Rising Phoenix students from Manitowoc Lincoln High School and expanded in Fall 2021 with an additional cohort at Manitowoc Lincoln and new cohorts at Two Rivers and Mishicot high schools. Rising Phoenix students are chosen based on a holistic process that assesses academic readiness, grit and perseverance, proven qualities that lead to success in higher education.
Rising Phoenix students are supported by their high school counselors and a UW-Green Bay Student Success Coach who provides academic advising, social and emotional support and access to resources to help students navigate higher education. Students create flexible schedules that allow them to remain involved in their high schools while making progress towards a college degree. University courses are made available at their high school, online or at a UW-Green Bay campus location.
Kayla Boguski, Student Success Coach for Mishicot and Two Rivers, reflected on the cohorts’ first year in the program. “It has been a true pleasure to work with Mishicot and Two Rivers students. As we navigated the first semester together, the students really impressed me with their dedication. They were motivated to get a jump start on their education. I have no doubt these students will accomplish big dreams! I look forward to watching them grow and mentoring future program cohorts.”
Angel Gelhar, Student Success Coach for Manitowoc Lincoln, offered her perspective, “Despite the challenges imposed by the pandemic, the students in the Manitowoc Lincoln Rising Phoenix program have shown determination and resilience. I have been impressed by their ability to advocate for themselves to ensure their academic, social and emotional needs are met. It has been humbling to see their growth during this last year, and I’m eager to see how each student builds off of the foundation they created in this program.”
