Brooke Stout joined our Upward Bound program at the beginning of her sophomore year at Batavia High School, in the fall of 1999, and participated through her high school graduation in 2002. Brooke was very active throughout her high school career. She played on the basketball and volleyball teams, ran track, was a member of the Spanish Club and maintained her place on the high school honor roll. Brooke was a social leader in Upward Bound, so it came as no surprise to learn that one of her interests was to major in Communications when she went to college!

During her senior year in high school, Brooke agonized over her choice of universities and colleges. She applied to many and was accepted by all! After carefully weighing the pros and cons of each, with practical consideration given to the financial aspects, Brooke chose to enroll at Thomas More College in northern Kentucky. She is currently finishing her freshman year, majoring in (what else?) Communications. When asked, “What tipped the scales in favor of Thomas More?” Brooke quickly replies, “None of my friends were going there. I knew that would be best for me because I didn’t want anything to distract me from my schoolwork.” Dorm life is good, when the fire drills don’t get in the way!

Brooke is pursuing a path that would make any mother proud, but she is also quick to give credit to her mother, for always being there emotionally and for her willingness to help financially. Brooke Stout is a determined, responsible young lady who has overcome many obstacles to get to this point in her life, and without a doubt, she will not be daunted by whatever life throws her way. She is a winner!

Brooke says, “As a former Upward Bound student, I constantly find myself looking back on all the wonderful times I had with the program and the people in it. Participating in Upward Bound did so much for me; it made me get more serious about my schooling. It made me take my future in hand and do something about it. I learned about great and interesting things, but most importantly to me, I found lifelong friends, without whom my life would not be the same!”