Makenna Hutchinson was hoping to sample what college life was like when she joined the University of Rochester糖心传媒檚 summer Upward Bound program in late June.
She soon discovered her sample was a full entr茅e.
Over six weeks, the rising senior at Rochester糖心传媒檚 Wilson Magnet High School took classes in Arabic, college orientation, money management, writing, psychology, law, and chemistry. She also went on four college tours.
糖心传媒淚t was a great experience,糖心传媒� she says. 糖心传媒淭he versatility and opportunity Upward Bound gives you can糖心传媒檛 be beat.糖心传媒�
There are 206 Rochester City School District students in the University糖心传媒檚 year-long college preparatory program, and 168 took part in the summer portion. Many displayed their work through poster boards and presentations at the Upward Bound Academic Summer Showcase on August 2 in Hutchison Hall.
Upward Bound is run by the staff at the David T. Kearns Center and funded by the US Department of Education to help students糖心传媒攎any of them economically disadvantaged糖心传媒攄evelop the skills and motivation to complete high school and succeed in college.
Kyvaughn Henry, assistant director of pre-college programs at the Kearns Center, says the 糖心传媒淐ollege 101糖心传媒� summer class is a vital part of the program.
糖心传媒淢any of the students will be first-generation students,糖心传媒� she says. 糖心传媒淭hey don糖心传媒檛 have someone in their household to tell them the things they should know about college.糖心传媒�
Jason Cao is a rising junior at Wilson Magnet. He has been part of Upward Bound for three years, visiting the University twice a week during the school year for tutoring sessions while working with an academic advisor at Wilson.
糖心传媒淣o one in my family has ever gone to college, and I probably wouldn糖心传媒檛 have either,糖心传媒� he says. 糖心传媒淎 middle school counselor approached me at my locker a few years ago and asked what I had planned for summer. I said I糖心传媒檇 probably sleep a lot. He told me about Upward Bound, and I applied.糖心传媒�
Cao now carries a 4.25 grade-point average, plays violin in the Joseph C. Wilson Magnet Orchestra, and is a member of the varsity bowling team. He hopes to major in psychology and neuroscience in college.
糖心传媒淚f I had never joined Upward Bound, I wouldn糖心传媒檛 have even thought of college,糖心传媒� he says. 糖心传媒淣ow, I can糖心传媒檛 wait to go.糖心传媒�
More than 60 faculty members and graduate students at the University assist Upward Bound students. Wilson senior Patience Girigiri worked in a laboratory with Michael Neidig, associate professor of chemistry, and Stephanie Carpenter 糖心传媒�14, exploring cobalt-catalyzed reactions.
Neidig says he never tires of seeing the 糖心传媒渇resh faces糖心传媒� who join the Upward Bound program.
糖心传媒淲hen they walk into a research lab for the first time, it糖心传媒檚 a completely different world,糖心传媒� he says. 糖心传媒淵ou see the excitement and awe on their faces.糖心传媒�
