Getting
their blood flowing first
thing in the morning,
high school students in
Southwestern Community
College’s Upward
Bound program build teamwork
through vigorous games
during an intense six-week
summer college experience.
The program just received
a $1 million grant from
the U.S. Department of
Education. From left are
Becky Huettig, Jenny Impagliatelli
and Jenny DeRose, all
of Franklin High School,
Daniel Ferguson of Smoky
Mountain High School and
Jessica Snyder of Franklin
High School. |
Camping in the mountain wilderness,
rafting the raging white water,
experiencing new sporting challenges,
playing games- that’s
how Jessica Woody spends her
summer getting ready for college.
Woody, who will be a senior
at Smoky Mountain High School,
is participating in Southwestern
Community College’s
Upward Bound program.
Woody and other high school
students from Jackson, Macon
and Swain Counties, and the
Qualla Boundary can take advantage
of this program, thanks to
a $1 million grant from the
U.S. Department of Education.
The award, which the college
just received, ensures that
the intense six-week summer
college experience and accompanying
year-long support program
will be funded for four more
years.
"It’s more than
just fun and games though,”
said Woody. “Each exercise
or activity helps us learn
to work as a team and to develop
leadership skills. Plus, we
spend a lot of time taking
classes like English, math,
science and foreign language.”
"The intent of Upward
Bound is to prepare these
students for college even
before they get out of high
school,” said Upward
Bound Director Annette Kesgen.
“To qualify for the
program their families must
meet federal income guidelines
and the parents not have received
a four-year college degree.
"We are on our third
four-year grant cycle and
I feel very fortunate that
we were funded again. Some
92 per cent of our Upward
Bound graduates enter post-secondary
school,” she attributed
the funding to the program’s
success. “Our research
shows that Upward Bound students
are four times more likely
to earn a college degree than
students from similar backgrounds
who do not participate in
the program.”
Succeeding in college takes
more than academics, said
Kesgen, emphasizing that it
takes a well-rounded student.
“We concentrate heavily
on academics but we also know
how students learn from experiential
education. We use a variety
of activities to help them
develop their personal skills.”
Smoky
Mountain High
 Smoky
Mountain High School
students attending Southwestern
Community College’s
Upward Bound program
include, from left,
(seated) Kelsie Burch,
Carissa Giglio, Jessica
Masters, Christen Shuler;
(standing) Tana Dement,
Haley Brooks, Cheyenne
Mathis and Shane Brown. |
Swain
High
Swain
County High School students
participating in Southwestern
Community College’s
Upward Bound program
include, from left,
Kimie Curtice, Hailey
Trantham, Jordan Cartwright,
Patricia Earley and
Amber Griffith. |
Blue
Ridge
Blue
Ridge 11th grader Samantha
Stewart, right, shown
here with instructor
Lindsay Drake, is among
the participants in
Southwestern Community
College’s Upward
Bound program. |
While the summer program
is jam-packed with academic
classes and activities, support
for these students doesn’t
stop at the end of the six
weeks, Kesgen said. “Throughout
the academic year we tutor
them in whatever subjects
that they may need help with,
we provide academic advising
and help them prepare for
the college entrance exam.
At the same time, we offer
them cultural, social and
self-enrichment activities.”
Rachel Hicks, a senior at
Cherokee High School, said
she is looking forward to
the college visits, a major
component of Upward Bound.
Here the students tour campuses
like Chapel Hill, UNC-Greensboro,
UNC-Charlotte and NC State
and stay in the dorms during
their visits.
"For many it’s
their first real-life college
experience,” said Kesgen.
Although she hasn’t
selected a college yet, Hicks
knows she wants to concentrate
in social work.
"Eventually I would
like to work at the Cherokee
Children’s Home,”
she said.
Woody also has a pretty firm
idea of her career plans.
“I want to go into nursing…I’ll
probably start at SCC,”
she said. “Then I might
transfer to a university.”
"Our purpose is to help
them achieve their goals,”
Kesgen said.
The U.S. Department of Education
grant funds all Upward Bound
activities, including transportation
and meals, at no cost to the
students or parents.
Since the program is funded
to serve only 50 students,
an application process is
required. With the new grant
cycle, the program will have
several openings in the fall
and are currently accepting
applications. For an application
or for more information, contact
Kesgen at 586-4091, ext. 462
or akesgen@southwesterncc.edu
or the Upward
Bound website.
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