The desire to attend college isn鈥檛 necessarily a reality for all high school students, especially those from low-income backgrounds who may also be the first in their families to pursue higher education. Thanks to the Office of Minority Affairs and Diversity鈥檚 Upward Bound program, that mindset is changing for nearly 80 students from Seattle鈥檚 Franklin and Cleveland High Schools.Federally-funded by the U.S. Department of Education, Upward Bound is a three-to-four year program that provides college entrance support to low-income and/or first-generation students from both schools. Students enter the program as 10th graders and remain until graduation.
During the summer, Upward Bound hosts a six-week academy on the 91探花campus during which students attend academic, college prep, and elective classes Monday through Thursday, and participate in a field-trip excursion on Fridays. This year鈥檚 Summer Academy began on June 25 and will wrap up on Aug. 2.
Most courses are taught by 91探花instructors and are considered to be an elevated step from the students鈥� current academic level. The lecture topic this year was taught by Dr. Oliver Fraser who presented the same Astronomy 101 class he delivers to 91探花freshmen and sophomores. In addition to math, technology and language arts courses, students also have the option of taking electives like ballroom dancing, American Sign Language, art, calligraphy and the appreciation of opera.
鈥淲e try to create a curriculum every summer that they will not see in a high school setting, but will address the need for college information,鈥� Upward Bound director Leny Valerio-Buford said.
One of the most critical courses is the college prep class, taught by Valerio-Buford, which also doubles as language arts. Because most Upward Bound students do not have parents who can tell them what college is like, class discussions can get very personal.
鈥淚鈥檓 always amazed at how open they are with each other,鈥� Valerio-Buford said. 鈥淪ometimes we talk about the dysfunction at home, and you get a real sense that if it were not for this program, there is no way that child would be able to overcome the difficulty of thinking about college, let alone figuring out how to pay for it when their family can鈥檛 even afford to pay for electricity.鈥�
College wasn鈥檛 on Jasmine Brown鈥檚 mind when she entered the Upward Bound program. But her opinion has changed now that she is finishing her last Summer Academy.
鈥淚t makes me want to go to college so much more,鈥� the Franklin High School senior said. 鈥淚 remember as an incoming freshman, I was kind of antsy about the whole thing. I wasn鈥檛 really a big fan of school. It really wasn鈥檛 my first thought and now it鈥檚 all I can think about. I鈥檓 so ready and excited to go to college.鈥�
According to Valerio-Buford, the students reap several benefits from spending the summer on a college campus.
鈥淭he 91探花is a school that they鈥檝e heard about in their neighborhoods and it becomes the symbol of excellence,鈥� she said. 鈥淔or them to tell their families and people in their neighborhood, 鈥榠n the summer I attend the UW,鈥� that alone gives them that confidence.鈥�
She says the Upward Bound students not only benefit from seeing first-hand how college students and professionals interact with each other, they are exposed to a form of positive peer pressure from their Summer Academy classmates. Older students are modeling positive behavior and an interest in pursuing college.
鈥淪o instead of belonging to a gang, which could happen in their schools, this is 鈥榳hat do you want to do after high school, what career do you want to pursue?鈥� over and over again,鈥� Valerio-Buford said. 鈥淓verywhere they turn it鈥檚 always college prep, college prep.鈥�
鈥淭his whole experience being on the campus and being treated as a college student helps getting prepared,鈥� Franklin student Laraysha Tramble said. 鈥淭hey help us with financial aid and all that stuff that we need to get ready for college. It really helps. It makes you feel more independent and you don鈥檛 feel as stressed or worried about the pressure college is going to put on you.鈥�
Summer Academy instructors are enthused by how seriously the students take the classes. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e coming in to be students,鈥� American Sign Language instructor and Woodinville High School teacher DJ Jacobsen said. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e here to learn and they鈥檙e here to study. They鈥檙e not taking it for granted, like a lot of kids in high school.鈥�
Brown and Tramble are not taking Upward Bound for granted. Tramble hopes to attend the UW-Seattle, and if not, either the Tacoma or Bothell campus. Brown regards the 91探花as a top choice, however she also has her sights set on going to an out-of-state school like Howard University in Washington, D.C. or Spelman College in Atlanta.
The Franklin classmates can agree they are sad to see their participation in the Upward Bound Summer Academy come to a close. 聽The final awards ceremony will be held on Aug. 2 at Kane Hall (5-7:30 p.m.)
鈥淚t鈥檚 definitely a bittersweet thing,鈥� Brown said.
Learn more about Upward Bound on the program’s web site.