Students are Upward Bound with college prep program

On Monday, March 21, Kyle Virgin, Springfield High School’s Upward Bound academic year counselor, educated students and staff about what Upward Bound is and its wide range of benefits.

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2016-03-30 Students are Upward Bound with college prep program By ERICKA SCHOFF Upward Bound students from last year, including those from Springfield High School. COURTESY Upward Bound students from last year, including those from Springfield High School. COURTESY On Monday, March 21, Kyle Virgin, Springfield High School’s (SHS) Upward Bound (UB) academic year counselor, educated students and staff about what Upward Bound is and its wide range of benefits. The program is designed to help prepare students for college and increase the rate of students completing a secondary and postsecondary education. Throughout the school year, students meet once week with their academic year counselor. They discuss SAT preparation, look at college options and receive guidance with filling out applications and financial aid forms. Enlarge Map However, once Summer rolls around, the SHS students head to Keene State College (KSC) for five weeks. The students stay at the college Monday through Friday and come home on the weekends. At KSC, the students stay in dorms, attend three classes a day, which prepare them for their upcoming school year, and get to create friendships with students from different schools in the area. Last year, SHS had 12 students attend the program. Josh Sherman, a junior, enjoys both the social and academic aspect of UB. “You’re able to be so open about yourself while you are there. There’s no fear of judgement from other people, it really helped me open up and become much more social,” he said. “As for my UB classes, it helped me understand what I have been doing in my classes at the high school.” Sherman is grateful for the program, before he had become apart of Upward Bound he wasn’t sure what he wanted to do after high school. He now has a clear path to follow and isn’t as stressed out about the college process. Alex Naccarato, also a junior, had a very different outlook on UB compared to Sherman. Naccarato confessed that his mother had influenced him to sign up, but after joining the program he has no regrets. “At first, I was nervous about the program and meeting new people. In the end, it turned out to be very beneficial, and continues to be today,” he said. “I think there are two very important parts to Upward Bound. The first is the social aspect of Upward Bound. The other is that Upward Bound gives students financial help and personal advice while we are on our way to becoming a college students. They help pay for my SAT tests, and they also help pay for college applications.” Aside from taking preparatory classes and helping students become more comfortable with the college process, the kids also get to have fun. Last summer, the students were able to take field trips, tour colleges and give back by doing community service. At the end of their summer stay, the students took at three day field trip to Massachusetts. They toured Wheaton College and Clark University, attended a Blue Man Group concert and picked 310 pounds of green beans as a community service activity. Alexa Reichardt, a senior, says UB helped her become more confident with not only the college process, but herself as well. “The summer program has definitely been most beneficial,” she said. “It has taught me a lot about myself and others. I can't think of any times that I wasn't smiling or laughing, I loved it all.”