Upward Bound's arms are upward bound

Oberlin students were up and bound to honor the grandfather of TRIO.

TRIO, a combination of education outreach programs aimed at both high school and college students, was celebrated last month in an event at Cleveland State University. Panelists at the event included a local high school student who has been enrolled in Oberlin's own Upward Bound - a program aimed to increase the chances that at-risk high schoolers will go on to college.

According to Marianne Nicholson, an academic coordinator for Upward Bound, Oberlin is one of 681 such programs nationwide. High school students from Clearview, Elyria City, Lorain-Admiral King, Lorain-Southview and Oberlin City Schools are eligible for the program.

According to Nicholson, Upward Bound students are four times more likely to earn undergraduate degrees than those students from similar backgrounds who did not participate in the program.

Currently, there are 25 Oberlin Upward Bound students who plan to graduate in the spring. "Out of all the graduating Upward Bound students 24 will be going to college. One is considering the service," said Nicholson.

February's celebration of Upward Bound and other TRIO programs was in honor of Congressman Louis Stokes, who became the first elected African-American member of the Ohio State Congress in 1968. During his 30 years of service Stokes supported federal funding for the TRIO program in an effort to promote equal educational opportunity for low-income and first generation students.

He highlighted his disadvantages while growing up in Cleveland, which touched two-thirds of the students because two-thirds are low-income," said Upward Bound Director Clifton McNish.

Clearview High School sophomore Michael DeJesus, a participant in Oberlin's Upward Bound program, was chosen as a panelist to speak at the TRIO celebration.

"It was an honor to meet Congressman Stokes," said DeJesus. "I felt like when he was speaking of the hardships he had when he was growing up that it is possible to overcome those hardships and become a great person. Because that's what I feel he is."

"The panel went very well. The questions presented touched on Congressman Stokes' background, his legislative business and how important it is to take advantages of opportunity," said McNish.

The TRIO celebration was to allow the public to know about the services and make people aware of the program - and to talk about the successes. There are thousands of success stories," Nicholson said.

Up and Bound: Students gleefully pose in represention of the Oberlin College Upward Bound Program. The students visited Cleveland State Unversity last month to celebrate the nationally recognized program. (photo courtesy Clifton McNish)