My name is Jason Cortez and I graduated from Loara high school in 2006.  When I started high school I already had my mind set at going to college, but the problem was that I really did not know what it would take to get there.  I joined Upward Bound the summer after my freshman year.  My biggest fear in going into the program was if I was going to get a long with anybody.  My concerned was addressed immediately; everybody was very nice to me and on the first day I made a lot of friends.

Upward Bound to me is very special, because not only did it help me get to college, but also to prepare me for college when I got there.  While participating in the Saturday Sessions and Workshops, my Upward Bound friends and I all learned many tips in how to survive in college.  I always like telling my high school friends that getting yourself to college is one thing, but actually being in college is something else altogether.  Trust me, when you get to college your first year you will think that you are the best for making it in.  You feel invincible, but soon you will see that being in college is very different than being in high school.  Leaving everything to the last minute and not studying for tests is dangerous when you are in college.  I’m not trying to discourage anybody from going to college I am just telling the truth about what college life is like.  The funny thing is that everything I am saying now is exactly what our Upward Bound tutors and mentors told us when I was a high school student.  I am truly grateful that I got to hear all of this before I went to college, because I felt more prepared for what was to come.

The most memorable part about Upward Bound was the experiences from the summer program.  I participated in three Upward Bound summer program, and every summer was great and filled with memorable experiences.  What I liked the most about it was the fact that we got to stay in the dorms during the summer at UCI with all of my friends.  During the summer program we learned many things like how to stay healthy, how to study, how to manage our time, and many other things.  All of the skills we learned would later help me out a lot when I went through my first year in college.  These summer experiences really prepared me for what college life is like.  It was the best experience of my life and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.

Currently I am attending Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and I am majoring in Aerospace Engineering.  After getting my Bachelor’s of Science degree I want to working in the aerospace industry, for companies like Boeing or Lockheed and Martin, and specialize in Jet Design and Propulsions.  My ultimate career goal is to eventually own my own Aerospace company and/or start my own consulting firm to sell airplanes.