My name is Van Le and I am currently a sophomore at the University of California, Irvine. A huge part of my academic success in high school can be attributed to my participation in the Upward Bound Program. Aside from providing the essential college information on the different systems of higher education, financial aid, the A-G requirements etc, the program focused beyond the academics to help me become better individual through their time-management, job interview, and choosing a career workshops. Saturday sessions, though they were early in the morning, reminded me that I had to be initiative of my educational goals, and thus, further motivated me to work harder in school. The Upward Bound summer component allowed me to explore the college life to its fullest. In addition, by living in the dorms with other students, I learned to be tolerant of different types of people and finally, I was able to discover a newfound independence away from my parents’ care.

The Upward Bound staff is absolutely amazing. The tutors were always supportive and caring. They were more than just tutors; they were older siblings, mentors, role models, and friends. The Upward Bound program gave me the most updated college information at the fastest speed. Upward Bound provided me with personal attention and counseling with an academic coordinator that knows me not only by my transcript, but also knows my academic struggles, shares my aspirations, and understands the financial and family background that I come from.

The most memorable and challenging aspect of the program were the summer programs that I participated in.  At first, I hated it because there was so much work to do, but surprisingly, as the summer program progressed, so did my effort. I realized that I am capable of doing a lot of work if I scheduled my day appropriately. Had the program not challenged us, I would never have reached my full potential. I was forced out of my comport zone, and because of it, I had adopted better study habits and extended the limits of my abilities.

Presently, I a criminology major. I hope to declare a double major in Psychology and Social Behavior soon and go on to work for the police force. It’s easy to decide what you want to do with your life, but without Upward Bound, I never would have known how to get there. More importantly, without the program, I never would have had someone to take the first few steps with me and be there to support and guide me should I ever lose my way.