Like some middle schoolers, La’David Hall never thought about going to college. Back then, anything beyond high school wasn’t part of his plan.
That changed when Hall, a seventh grader at the time, heard a career coach speak at an assembly about careers in nursing, engineering, teaching, law and medicine.
“We never really had people talk to us about our futures or careers,” said Hall, now a junior at O’Bannon High School in Greenville. “I remember leaving school that day curious and thinking like, “‘Yeah, I can see myself doing any of those things.’”
The 2021 event marked the start of Delta State’s participation in Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs, or GEAR UP, a federal, grant-funded program that aims to help students attending high-poverty schools prepare for education and careers after high school.
Students participate in the GEAR UP writing workshop at the university on Thursday, Oct. 29, 2026. Credit: Eric Shelton/Mississippi TodayThe program is one example of efforts across Mississippi to help disadvantaged students in rural areas navigate higher education and careers after high school.
The U.S. Department of Education awarded Delta State a $15 million grant to prepare students across the Mississippi Delta for college through programs and resources including summer camps, mentoring, academic support and trips to the Cleveland campus.
In 2019, before Delta State earned a federal GEAR UP grant, Mississippi State University was awarded a $28 million GEAR UP state grant to work with Greenville, McComb and Meridian school districts. Two years later, completed applications for the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, known as FAFSA, increased by about 4% among the participating high schools.
Only about 73.4% of Mississippi’s graduating high school seniors completed FAFSA applications in 2025, according to estimates from the National College Attainment Network, a national organization that advocates for federal and state policy issues around college affordability and support services. Completing the federal application is considered a key indicator that a student will enroll in college.
Now, Jackson Public Schools is also participating in GEAR UP. In August, JPS officials announced the district secured a $10.67 million GEAR UP federal grant. The grant will go toward serving 2,000 middle schoolers across six schools — Blackburn, Brinkley, Cardozo, Kirksey, Lanier and Peeples — over seven years. JPS is partnering with local colleges and universities, museums and education-based organizations to provide mentoring, summer camps, career exploration programs and parental college financial guidance workshops.
Instructors guide students through a writing activity during the GEAR UP writing workshop at the university on Thursday, Oct. 29, 2026. Credit: Eric Shelton/Mississippi TodayAbout 52% of JPS graduating seniors enroll in college, said Jana Williams, the district’s college and career readiness manager. Supporting the participating middle schools with graduation-based career coaches will help students envision opportunities beyond high school and provide guidance on the academic and financial steps needed to pursue them, she said.
“It’s about exposure,” Williams said, “seeing their eyes open up and providing them the opportunity to learn more about college.”
Helping students see higher education as a viable option
When the Delta State program began, about 43% of students surveyed in Delta communities believed they could attend college, said Sha’Ketta Davis Drungole, executive director of the university’s Mississippi Delta GEAR UP Partnership. Now, program data indicate that 64% of students plan to attend.
“I have seen growth and development in the way they present themselves, the way they talk about college or careers in their thought processes, the way they engage with each other as students,” Drungole said, “and it’s just really heartwarming to see.”
Delta State’s GEAR UP program has served more than 4,600 students and provided 88,500 hours of services including parent workshops, teacher training and college visits to students, Drungole said.
The program also provides staff and advisers to offer training for teachers in Delta-area school districts and to help students understand how to apply for college and how to transition to college after high school.
Laura Miller, English instructor and coordinator of First-Year Writing, right, and Ebony Lumumba, department chair and associate professor of English, speak to students during the GEAR UP writing workshop at the university on Thursday, Oct. 29, 2026. Credit: Eric Shelton/Mississippi TodayStudents participates in a writing activity during the GEAR UP writing workshop at the university on Thursday, Oct. 29, 2026. Credit: Eric Shelton/Mississippi TodayStudents participates in a writing activity during the GEAR UP writing workshop at the university on Thursday, Oct. 29, 2026. Credit: Eric Shelton/Mississippi TodayGlenda Lollis-Hawkins said her daughter Laroya, a senior at Cleveland Central High, has gained money management skills such as budgeting through attending GEAR UP summer camps. The program also offers parents access to resources that help with financial aid applications and understanding college admissions.
“GEAR UP not only educates the child but [also] the parent about the importance of advancing your career past high school,” Lollis-Hawkins said.
“GEAR UP’s workshops help me parse through the important information,” she said. “They let us know about the ACT, the deadlines and finances when it comes to college.”
Uncertain federal funding for GEAR UP may put such programs at risk. The Trump administration has proposed budgets that would eliminate funding for GEAR UP, but Congress has pushed back and rejected the request.
Funding for the program is not guaranteed even if states or school districts were previously awarded grants, said Brandi Lyndall, director of college access strategy and statewide outreach at Get2College, a college access program of Woodward Hines Education Foundation.
For now, the program is helping Mississippi students and their families prepare for higher education.
Craig Meyer, associate professor of English and director of Jackson State University’s writing program, speaks to students during the GEAR UP writing workshop at the university on Thursday, Oct. 29, 2026. Credit: Eric Shelton/Mississippi TodayHall, the O’Bannon High School student, said his curiosity led him to ask his parents questions about college. He wanted to know how to apply. He also asked his mother how she got her nursing degree and her master’s degree in social work. Hall’s father, who did not attend college, encouraged him to keep up with his studies.
Hall has attended science and entrepreneur summer camps at Mississippi Valley State University over the past few summers. He has toured Mississippi State University’s campus in Starkville. He has also talked with his high school advisers about applying to college. He is now looking beyond his hometown for potential careers such as becoming a teacher, mortician or funeral director.
“It’s just a new world out there for me,” Hall said.
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