HCC receives Upward Bound grant, continues legacy of preparing high school students for college success

Jul 11, 2017

Lifetime earning potential, improvement to quality of life and long-term community economic impact. These are just a few of the reasons Houston Community College (HCC) is committed to helping area students graduate high school and earn advanced degrees and certifications.

Upward Bound, an academic intervention program funded by a U.S. Department of Education grant, is essential to HCC’s student outreach efforts. HCC recently received a grant for more than $586,000 to continue the program.

“Upward Bound prepares students for college, while also preparing them for life,” says Daniel Garcia, the HCC Upward Bound interim director. “Through Upward Bound, these students receive opportunities they would not necessarily get in their everyday life.”

Since 1974, HCC has used the grant funds to recruit low-income, first-generation ninth and 10th grade students from Houston ISD. During the year-round program, students participate in life skills courses, academic development classes and tutoring, career exploration and development programs, and cultural enrichment activities. Additionally, they receive connections to community resources and transportation services, just to name a few benefits of the program.

“Upward Bound is a great program for high school students who are willing to put in their time and effort to go to college,” says former Upward Bound participant Samantha Beltran. Beltran is a Stephen F. Austin High School Class of 2017 graduate and is working as an intern at HCC’s Central campus. “With the college tours and the tutoring they provide, I never would have gotten to where I am now without their help.”

Each year, HCC’s program serves more than 130 students like Beltran. Garcia notes that over 80 percent of Upward Bound students successfully complete high school and enroll in an institution of higher education. Area high schools that participate are: Sam Houston High School, Jack Yates High School, Northside High School, and Stephen F. Austin High School.

For more information about HCC’s Upward Bound program, visit: central.hccs.edu/about-us/upward-bound