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Seven Girls, Seven Dreams
About Upward Bound
Upward Bound is the path to success and higher education for many high school students. It targets low-income students and/or those who will be among the first generation in their families to attend a college or university.
Appalachian’s Upward Bound program serves 80 young people each year from Ashe, Avery, Watauga and West Wilkes high schools. It offers academic support and personal growth activities during the school year and the summer. These activities include:
- weekly tutoring
- academic advising
- assistance applying for college admission, scholarships and financial aid
- social and cultural enrichment
- opportunities to visit college campuses
- opportunities for personal growth
The program’s success rate is high. Among students who participate in Appalachian’s Upward Bound all four years of high school, nearly 100 percent enroll in a four-year or community college after high school graduation. A total of 80 percent earn a four-year degree within six years. Even among students who participated in Upward Bound for just two years, 88 percent enrolled in college after high school graduation and 70 percent earned a four-year degree within six years.
Want to help?
Upward Bound continually seeks volunteers to help teach and tutor high school students, both during the academic year and the summer. Their assistance can be life changing for young people. Volunteers find it personally rewarding, too. For more information, visit www.upwardbound.appstate.edu.
In Summer 2007, seven girls in high school participated in a photography elective as part of Upward Bound’s summer academic activities. Appalachian State University photographer Troy Tuttle taught the class as a staff volunteer. He photographed each girl as she appears today and as the woman she desires to become. The experience created a dynamic visual of what Upward Bound can mean to young people whose life and career aspirations may seem out of reach. Their faces tell the story.
Heidi, High school junior
“When I was 12 years old, my mom was diagnosed with a medical disorder. …I believe we have had to struggle more than most families have ever had to struggle. So in return, I want to live a much better life, and that’s where Upward Bound program plays a major role in my future. After being in the program, I received an awesome report card: three A’s and one B. Before, I had never received higher than a B.”
Allie, High school junior
“It’s not if I’m going to college, it’s how I am going to get there. The fact that my family will not be able to pay for college is the biggest obstacle in my future. I want to be an environmental scientist. There are plenty of ways to go about ‘saving the world,’ but I want to find practical, simple ways to help the masses help themselves.”
Hannah, High school sophomore
“Having experienced life with two parents who never finished high school, I am eager to accomplish my goals. I want to be a pediatric oncologist… I have my goals in mind and my future in sight.”
Libby, High school junior
“Last year I was taking pre-algebra and I would get lost on my homework. I would ask my parents to help me and they were as lost as I was. Upward Bound helps me keep my grades up in high school and that can give me a better chance of getting into college. Both of my parents want me to have a better life than they had.”
Rebecca, High school sophomore
“My family keeps three foster children. My brother and I are also twins, so we have a pretty good-sized family. With all these kids in your home, college is pretty skeptical. That’s why I’m in Upward Bound. I want to be a forensic serologist. Upward Bound can help me reach this goal by giving me confidence and relieving the stress I have.”
DeAnna, High school junior
“All through elementary school I didn’t do as best as I could. I made bad grades until my freshman year. Then I heard about a great program called Upward Bound. My life has been permanently changed by this program.”
Kendra, High school sophomore
“Upward Bound is a great program. It has helped me a lot with my school work and helped me come out of my shell. …I have a 9-month-old sister. Even without buying diapers and formula, I still don’t think my parents could afford college. I really need financial help.
