One of Southwestern University’s best kept, “publicly engaged” secrets is the Upward Bound program. Since 1999, the program has fostered academics hailing from Williamson County, GISD, and Jarrell, right at the heart of campus, assisting rising generations of students. The current director of the program is Leonie “Lee” Dsouza, and has passionately worked with Upward Bound for the past twelve years.

Upward Bound is not something exclusive to SU; the program was implemented in various schools across the United States starting in the 60s as a part of the Higher Education Act, hoping to provide opportunities to the minds of the future. However, It is unique to each campus it resides in, due to the areas of the students it serves. When the program began at Southwestern, the school was not yet deemed an Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI). Now that it is, it has opened more beckoning opportunities to those in the Upward Bound program, as the students are primarily Hispanic. It creates a meaningful segue between Upward Bound and Southwestern, and Lee also pointed out it helps create a sense of belonging.

The program runs through the academic year and summer, with a quick break in August. Bringing in about fifty high school students every year, they can participate all four years of high school. During the school year, these students meet every Saturday to participate in workshops from community partners or even current Southwestern students. either listen to a lecture, work with local nonprofits, or take a course. During the months of June and July, their weeks are packed with different material and sit in on lectures and workshops, volunteer at local nonprofits, are taught a college-level course, and more. They also have the opportunity to visit out of state universities so students can get a feel for colleges outside of Texas. One week in July, they participate in the residential week, in which they stay on campus to get the collegiate experience. Finally, to top off the amazing opportunities the program provides, each year, one graduating senior out of the program is picked to receive full tuition to Southwestern.

Upward Bound is a program founded on community, the dedication to maintain it, and to uplift rising generations of students. Lee stated, “We are not a standalone academic program, we are very connected.” Community partners that they work with vary, but notable, returning ones include Simple Sparrow Care Farm, The Georgetown Project, and Texas Children’s Baptist Home. These organizations are not just here for the students to listen to, but to really engage in and with: “All these connections have really made for a great partnership of community engagement, just because some of our students sometimes unexpectedly experience homelessness, and we are able to connect them [with these community partners].”

Southwestern connection typically ties in with Dr. Moore’s longstanding CEL course, as students in the course work with the Upward Bound kids directly to fulfill their required community hours. Once SU students have completed required hours though, they still return to Upward Bound to help in any way they can. The dedication they put it in is a great example of the community that Upward Bound fosters and craves. The CEL courses are the only direct student-to-student connection, and Lee would like to see an expansion of that. If there is an improvement in the intensity of the partnership, there will be an improvement in the value of the experience. There is not a committed SU group to the program, and Lee wishes for that to change.

The largest existing gap is money; the program still receives the same amount they did five years ago, and that has considerably reduced buying power, be it services, supplies, or meals. For example, Upward Bound used to be able to serve the students lunches during the summertime, but due to rising costs, they are now unable to. The lack of making ends meet takes away the opportunity for Upward Bound to serve the students certain products and services, but Lee makes sure they do all that they can to make up for it. She’s received donations of water bottles and SU shirts that are helpful to give to the students to enrich their experience.

At the end of the day, the program is exceedingly valuable to the students (and to our campus). Not only does it open up doors and opportunities to them, but it opens their eyes to what is available and what they can truly achieve. To be able to instill such confidence in a student is a gift. Lee said, “When you’re a first gen student you don’t know what you don’t know, and your parents don’t know what they don’t know.” Many students face a variety of cultural barriers and need to know that they’re not alone.

Team-building is a priority for the Upward Bound program; as soon as students join, Lee works with them on team-building exercises because they will end up being one another’s best friends. It is very important to build a safe space that these students can open up in to tell their stories with honesty and pride. Especially since COVID, Lee is quite adamant about the connection of wellness and academics. The proper mental headspace is vital to academic success. It is not a requirement of every Upward Bound program, just something that Lee is particularly passionate about. She said, “Always ask for help when you need it. It doesn’t make you weaker.” She is helping these high schoolers become well-rounded humans, not just well-rounded students. Upward Bound at Southwestern creates emotionally and academically intelligent individuals, ready to face the world and whatever it throws at them.