Though
there
were
no
lit
birthday
candles
on
the
cake,
there
was
plenty
of
glow
on
the
faces
of
the
attendees
who
commemorated
the
50th
anniversary
of
BW's
TRIO
Upward
Bound
program
at
a
special
event
June
9.
The
festivities
lauded
BW's
long-standing
commitment
to
providing
educational
access
to
students
in
need.
One
of
the
oldest
programs
in
the
nation,
BW's
Upward
Bound
began
four
years
after
the
U.S.
Department
of
Education
initiated
the
Federal
TRIO
Programs
to
address
educational
disparity.
Since
its
inception,
BW's
Upward
Bound
has
helped
more
than
3,000
low-income,
first-generation
students.
This
year
the
program
graduated
33
students,
of
which
28
have
been
accepted
and
are
registered
for
two-
or
four-year
colleges
at
places
like
The
University
of
Akron,
Kent
State
University,
The
College
of
Wooster
and
Cleveland
State
University.
Preparing
Students
for
Success
"Upward
Bound
is
the
oldest
of
the
TRIO
Programs.
It
was
born
out
of
President
Lyndon
Johnson's
"War
on
Poverty"
campaign
of
the
1960s.
It
addresses
educational
disparity
by
giving
urban,
rural
and
inner-city
students
opportunities
to
advance
to
college,"
explained
Bonnie
Munguia,
director
of
BW's
Upward
Bound
program.
Upward
Bound
students
are
recommended
by
their
high
school
counselors.
Students
participate
in
after-school
tutoring
once
a
week
and
a
four-hour
Saturday
session
during
the
school
year.
In
the
summer,
they
attend
a
residential
camp
at
BW.
"Upward
Bound
is
an
important
aspect
of
BW's
commitment
to
embracing
diversity
and
success
for
all
students.
It
boosts
the
educational
potential
of
more
than
105
Cleveland
Metropolitan
School
District
high
school
students
each
year
by
giving
them
access
to
college
preparatory
resources
as
well
as
social
and
cultural
experiences,"
she
added.
Beyond
Courses...A
Forever
Family
For
Upward
Bound
participants
Vic
Patterson
and
Kyerra
Ervin,
this
year's
high
school
graduation
was
a
sweet
reminder
of
the
path
they've
taken
to
reach
this
milestone
and
the
excitement
and
anticipation
they
feel
for
college
experiences
that
soon
lay
ahead.
"In
high
school,
I
was
senior
class
president,
in
the
top
10
of
my
class
and
a
student
ambassador,"
explained
Patterson,
a
graduate
of
Washington
Park
Environmental
Studies
Academy.
"Without
Upward
Bound,
I
don't
know
if
I
could
be
all
those
things.
I
was
very
shy.
Upward
Bound
helped
me
gain
confidence
and
showed
me
how
much
the
world
has
to
offer."
Ervin
also
credits
BW's
Upward
Bound
with
helping
her
succeed.
She
believes
the
complex
courses
she
took
in
the
program
as
well
as
mentoring
and
enrichment
activities
have
benefited
her
by
allowing
her
to
experience
college
life.
Both
Patterson
and
Ervin
also
cited
the
support
they
received
from
the
community.
"Upward
Bound,"
said
Patterson,
"is
like
family
to
me.
I
can't
thank
the
staff
enough
for
what
they
did
to
make
me
a
young
scholar."
