A group of Alliance students recently got the full college experience after taking part in the Upward Bound Program.
Kevin Coy, CSC Upward Bound Counselor, explained that in June, Upward Bound hosted a month long summer program, allowing high school students who are part of the Upward Bound Program to live on the campus at Chadron State College and get a feel for college.
“They get the college experience of living in the dorms and having core classes and eating at the cafeteria, just getting exposure at the high school level, that way, when they do go to college, it’s not such an overwhelming experience for them,” said Coy.
Coy explained that the program also features an academic year component. He explained that the target schools for this program, which is funded through the U.S. Department of Education, are Alliance, Chadron and Crawford.
“We’re funded to serve 63 students, so 21 students at each school,” Coy said. “We have a lot of workshops throughout the year, take students on college visits, cultural enrichment activities. Last year, we took students to the hot air balloon festival in Hot Springs, S.D. We’ve taken them to the art museum in Denver. We actually pay our students to be part of the program because that’s what has been written in our grant. We serve students from disadvantaged backgrounds, first generation, free or reduced lunch household students. There’s a ton of opportunities for the students that are part of Upward Bound.”
One of the most beneficial aspects of Upward Bound that Coy has seen was seeing a group of dedicated youth recognize the opportunities that stand before them.
“This is a once in a lifetime opportunity,” said Coy. “You’re only in high school once, and making these lasting memories with your peers that you have something in common with, and that goal is to eventually go to college and to graduate, be the first in your family to graduate, and to start a prosperous life afterwards.”
Coy explained that the group size lends itself well to networking and making stronger connections with peers.
“I think the small group setting really enhanced the experience the students had with the program and with each other,” Coy said.
Students who are interested in joining Upward Bound are encouraged to talk with their school secretaries, counselors or their principal to learn more about the application process. Coy said he is in Alliance on Mondays and Wednesdays. Students may also learn more at csc.edu/upwardbound.
“Don’t miss out on an opportunity like this one, because it is truly life changing,” said Coy. “Being a first-generation, low-income kid, this type of program helped me through tough times in my educational career and made me realize how important education was and how many opportunities are within the realm of education.”