Upward Bound: A Bridge to the Community

photo by Ashel Parsons

story by Evelyn Filleman, student writer

“My staff and I view our jobs like a federally funded mission field. … That’s what we’re trying to accomplish with Upward Bound: showing the love of Christ to those who would normally be overlooked.”

Stephanie O’Brian West is the director of Upward Bound, a federally-funded TRIO program focused on supporting low-income, first generation high school students. Currently, the program in Searcy serves more than 65 high school students in White and Woodroof Counties. Students are selected during their freshman year of high school and are mentored by the program until they graduate and even as they enter college. Entry to the program is highly competitive, and students who are accepted must earn and maintain requirements to keep their place in the program. They receive mentoring and advising all year as well as ACT and other test prep and college readiness experiences. 

During the summer, Upward Bound students attend Summer Academy for five weeks and live in University residence halls, take a full load of courses, eat in The Caf and have a true student experience on campus. Evenings are full of fun activities like game nights, swimming, silly olympics and karaoke. These students have had no experience of college life, and most do not even have friends or family members who can teach them. Summer Academy provides an opportunity to gain experience and build confidence before they enroll as freshmen. 

Many of these students experience food security for the first time while on campus. They have hot showers, receive mental health counseling and build community. As they become more comfortable, they also begin to flourish. 

Upward Bound student and White County native Isabella Rogers always knew she wanted to come to Harding. Although her parents and siblings did not graduate from high school, she pushed herself and took advantage of every opportunity available, including signing up for Upward Bound in the ninth grade. She now plans to major in middle level education and pursue a master’s degree in counseling. 

“... Without Upward Bound, coming from such a low income family, I wouldn't have been able to go where I want to go,” Rogers said. “...I feel like without all of this prep, I wouldn't have been able to get college offers .. have the ACT score … or the knowledge [I have].”

High schools often pay for one ACT per student, but those seeking higher scores must pay for additional tests on their own. Upward Bound provides waivers for the necessary exams so students can work to increase their scores — and their college opportunities — without the financial burden.

“Upward Bound is like a bridge between Harding and our community,” O’Brian West said. “Harding lets us work here, hosts events on campus, and has even covered a partial cost of students living in the dorms over the summer. During the academic year, our students can rent hammocks out of our office, sit out on the front lawn, and find their space in part of our community. … Students and their families spend so much time on Harding's campus it becomes a resource for them, a safe place.”