Northfield Mount Hemon Upward Bound

Upward Bound Scholars work really hard every summer for 6 weeks on our campus and every week after school in order to develop the academic and social strengths they need to get to college. They face all kinds of obstacles including poverty, being first in their families to go to college, lack of information and support, and underesourced schools.  We always have three eligible applicants for every funded opening. Your contribution will help us serve additional students. Here is the story of one of our many successes: 

Life was very challenging when Taisha and her brother were bouncing from family to friend's home because of instability and job loss in her family. Taisha had lost her dad a few years back and in her senior year her mother also died suddenly, leaving four children to fend for themselves. Taisha was doing all the right things to prepare for college and she could have easily been derailed by yet one more family tragedy. Upward Bound helped her navigate a stressful year while other family came to help her siblings. She took one step at a time to complete all her college and financial aid applications with instensive guidance and organizational help from her UB advisor. Today Taisha  is enrolled in a four year college and her brother is thriving in school and at UB.  We are certain they will both earn college degrees, despite the ongoing challenges they face.   

Students from some of the poorest communities in Western Massachusetts receive intensive support all year in their public schools and spend 6 weeks on the NMH campus. Their families often cannot help them with the daunting process of preparing and applying for college. Their guidance counselors have large caseloads, making it difficult to get the help they need.

Most jobs that provide a living wage require a college degree. Only 18% of adults in the communities we serve hold a four year degree while 90-100% of our graduates go to college. Upward Bound is a very effective way of addressing poverty and strengthening communities over the long term. We are currently only funded for 87 students. All additional funding helps us reach more students.