A program at Fresno State is making a difference in the community by serving low-income, first-generation high school students from six schools in Fresno and Madera, who plan on attending college. 

Upward Bound on campus is one of the eight federal TRIO Programs that are outreach and student services designed to provide assistance for individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds. TRIO stands for the three original federal programs that were created, but now consists of eight programs.

The Fresno State Upward Bound program is just one of many throughout the United States. 

“We have the opportunity of building our students so that they can be ready, college prepared, then college bound,” said Brenda Garcia Mireles, director of the Fresno State Upward Bound program.

Through this program, students at Fresno State can get involved by providing math and English tutorial skills to other students, as well as mentoring and offering school advice. Services like SAT and ACT preparation workshops, assistance with college applications and college campus tours are also offered. 

Upward Bound offers paid positions to college students and is open to all majors.  

Mireles said college students who work for the program are able to feel at home and supported.

“As college students, they have a little home away from home,” Mireles said. “When they hear Upward Bound or anything related, they know they’re going to be supported here.”

All participants also conduct community service activities or projects. This year, they have partnered with Valley Children’s Hospital and organized a board game drive at each high school campus. The goal is to collect a total of 250 board games. 

“Most often than not and even the times that I’ve been there [Valley’s Children’s Hospital], they’re outdated board games. They don’t have enough board games, or it’s not age appropriate,” Mireles said. 

The donation drive will end on Dec. 14. 

But college students aren’t the only ones gaining valuable experience. 

Both high school and college students have the opportunity of building cohesiveness with one another and sharing and benefiting from each other’s energy, said Mireles. 

“You get to see our underclassmen work closely with our seniors, and you get to see our seniors kind of teaching and guiding the path,” Mireles said. “So it’s that support system within a support system.”

Mireles said she oversees two programs that recruit high school students: the Classic Upward Bound and Next Generation Upward Bound. 

Combined, both programs have a total of 153 students, who receive similar services. Edison, Madera and Madera South High Schools fall under the Classic Upward Bound. Fresno, McLane and Roosevelt High Schools are part of Next Generation Upward Bound. 

In order to be eligible for the Upward Bound Program, high school students have to be either low-income and/or first-generation, college-bound students, have a minimum cumulative 2.8 GPA and be in the 9th or 10th grade.