Christy Abbott, Director

(616) 331-8387
[email protected]

Hello, I am Christy Abbott. I began my undergraduate degree at Seminole State College, where I served as Assistant Editor of the school newspaper and worked as a part-time tutor in the school library. I transferred to Oklahoma Baptist University where I majored in Elementary Education with endorsements to teach Middle School Language Arts and science. I spent many years teaching children and adults, and I eventually found my way home to Seminole State College where I worked with the GEAR UP grant. I knew I wanted to work with grants from that time on, and I began working on my master’s degree in human resource administration at East Central University in Ada, Oklahoma. I have served as an advisor for GEAR UP and TRIO Talent Search, managed my own TRIO Student Support Services grant, and am excited to be the new TRIO Veterans Upward Bound Director at Grand Valley State University. In my free time, I enjoy painting, traveling, and photography. I also enjoy cats, dogs, and horses. My heart belongs to my sweet parents and two adult children, Zachary and Andrea.

George Rader, Program Specialist

(616) 331-8386
[email protected]

Hi, my name is George Rader. I am the Program Specialist for the TRIO Veterans Upward Bound Program at Grand Valley State University. I am a U.S. Navy Seabee Veteran and was stationed in Port Hueneme California at Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 4. During my time on active duty from 2005-2010, I deployed twice: my first deployment was Operation Iraqi Freedom, and my second deployment was Operation Enduring Freedom Afghanistan. Since Transitioning out of the Military, I have received my A.A.S of Criminal Justice from North Central Michigan College, B.S. of Criminal Justice from Lake Superior State University, and M.A. of Applied Behavioral Analysis from Ball State University. I am honored to be a part of the TRIO Veterans Upward Bound team at Grand Valley State University, and It is an honor to help fellow veterans.