The TRIO Upward Bound Programs have been serving low-income, first-generation college students since the 1960s with free tools and guidance to complete their higher education. All funds are supplied through the Department of Education.

Sergio Galvez, senior director of California Lutheran University’s TRIO Upward Bound Programs is an alumni of the program. Galvez said he credits all his success to the support and guidance he received while part of the program.

“Historically, education has been the ultimate equalizer to put yourself in a better situation so the TRIO Programs are that vehicle. They are that platform where in one generation,  a family’s trajectory of not going to college for generations stops. From that point forward that family is more likely to send offspring and grandkids and great-grandkids down the line to college,” Galvez said.

There are three Upward Bound grants on campus. The Traditional Upward Bound Program, since 1980, has guided students into all fields of future career paths. The Upward Bound Math Science Program, since 1992, has guided and prepared students toward math and science based careers.

The campus’ newest grant, the Centinela Valley Project, was funded in 2012, allowing 60 more students the chance to participate. Galvez said, they each serve four or five more students than funded before.

“If you could package up and slap a label on this thing we call the TRIO Programs, what you’re selling is an opportunity to change people’s lives forever. The tutoring and all the services we offer, those are all great features of what makes this program what it is, but our product is a life changing experience,” Galvez said.

Interim Project Coordinator in the Math Science Upward Bound Program, Dorinamarie Padilla, is also an alumna of the program.

“Our programs are designed to provide resources and academic support to those individuals who often times don’t have any direct ties to collegiate studies. Their parents and or relatives and members of their community have low levels of college attendees, so they implemented and created the Upward Bound Program to fill that void in education, knowledge and the college process.” Padilla said. “The TRIO Program’s main focus is that the kids are academically prepared and well informed about the college options at their disposal.”

High school students enrolled in Upward Bound spend five weeks during the summer living on the Cal Lutheran campus, taking academic classes and living the life of a full time college student.

During the academic year, students are provided with tutoring, monthly site visits and a trip to Cal Lutheran for educational activities once a month.

Bailey Van Buren, a freshman at Cal Lutheran, once participated in the TRIO Upward Bound Programs on campus during her high school career.

“Coming from a low-income, single parent household, it’s definitely helped  because my mom hadn’t been able to necessarily take me on college visits or help me with financial aid and everything, so it’s really been nice in that way and in opening up my horizons so I can break the pattern of being low income, first generation [college student] and seeing how it helped my peers too. One of my friends actually got the Gates Millennium Scholarship and he goes to UCLA. We’re like one big family, I’ll go in there [to the Upward Bound Program on campus] once a week and tell them about my day and stuff. It’s really nice to have that extended family,” Van Buren said.

For more information on Upward Bound Programs, visit The U.S. Department of Education’s website or visit the Upward Bound Program’s office on campus located on Luther Avenue.

Taylor Rowlands
Staff Writer
Published March 9th, 2016