Wesleyan’s Upward Bound Program Builds Pipeline to College

Alivia Arce ’27 remembers the day during her junior year at Francis T. Maloney High School in Meriden when she got called down from her economics class to the cafeteria. She joined a group of other students, including her sister, for a presentation that would change her life. “I had no idea what it was and then I remember one of the program coordinators at the time gave a presentation about Upward Bound,” Arce said. “And I kind of had an epiphany moment where I was just like, I have to do this. This is such a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to join something like this.” 

Arce proceeded to sign both her younger sister and herself up for the program, even though she didn’t really understand what it meant to be “first generation” and she wasn’t entirely sure about going to college. But the convenience of the summer program in Middletown and lack of cost convinced her to give it a try. “I really don't think I'd be at college if it wasn't for Upward Bound,” she said. 

Today, as a junior majoring in molecular biology and biochemistry, Arce works for the Wesleyan Upward Bound Math-Science program during the school year. In that capacity, she creates posters for events, manages the program’s social media accounts, and provides administrative support to help the next crop of students participating in the program. “I’m eternally grateful to the program as a whole,” she said. “They’re there for you as a person. They're not just there for you as an academic mentor. It's really like a family.” 

For nearly 60 years, Wesleyan has offered the Upward Bound program for first-generation and low-income high school students like Arce, who hail from Middletown or Meriden. The purpose of the program is to prepare local youth for college by strengthening their academic skills, and also providing enrichment, tutoring support, college visits, and help with the complex college application and financial aid processes. 

These rich offerings were a turning point for Dario Highsmith ’20, an Upward Bound alum and current coordinator for the program. “UB gave me access—to college tours, tutoring, mentors, real conversations about life after high school,” he said. “That kind of exposure changed how I thought about myself. Without that, I’m not sure I would’ve considered Wesleyan.” 

Upward Bound Math-Science, which serves students from Middletown, and Upward Bound, serving Meriden students, are federally funded TRIO programs designed to support students through the academic pipeline from middle school through college. The Upward Bound staff, which includes Wesleyan students and alumni, not only helps students academically but to build skills, such as financial literacy, goal setting, social-emotional learning, and public speaking.  

After six decades, the program remains as relevant as ever. “The student populations that we work with, low-income, first-generation, still don't have access to a lot of the offerings of our program,” said Wesleyan Upward Bound Director Miguel Peralta, an alum of the program. He referred to data that shows widening gaps between low-income students and their more affluent peers in terms of college achievement and completion. Cuts in education funding are also a challenge. “A program like Upward Bound can fill in those gaps that our students and families coming from the communities that they come from may not have access to or are losing through their regular K through 12 education,” he said. 

The students participate during the academic year and also during a six-week summer session. During the summer, roughly two-thirds of the students enrolled come to campus for daily programming that runs from 8:15 a.m. to 2:15 p.m. each day. They engage in coursework in math, science, English, a foreign language, plus enrichment activities, seminars by grade, and college application support for high school seniors. 

The summer program is more intensive, says Peralta. “The summer is our chance to dig deep and build those relationships and work towards that college process that we'll be doing with our seniors,” he said. 

Highsmith agreed about the summer program’s rigor. “Waking up early, classes all day—it was intense, but it also forced me to grow up a little. I still remember talking about stuff we never said out loud in school—family struggles, pressure, fear of failing. It was the first place I felt like I could be smart and vulnerable at the same time,” he said. 

Middletown High School senior Syed Hoque was motivated to join the program, and return each year, by his older siblings who are alumni. “As they moved through the program, I noticed the amount of help they got with things such as FAFSA and basically preparing for college,” Hoque said. “I wanted that for myself, so I went in literally straight out of 8th grade, I applied to the program and got in.” 

This summer, the program will focus on the theme of “EQ vs. IQ,” helping students understand that emotional intelligence is just as critical as academic learning to navigate college and career. “There's also this skill building that happens,” said April Ruiz, associate vice president and dean for Academic Equity and Inclusion. The program works “with the students very intentionally on public speaking, for example, and gives them lots of practice. And there is also a focus on the ‘hidden curriculum,’ which are the norms in college or even in their high schools around how to navigate certain opportunities and resources,” she said. 

To that end, the summer program will host a networking event where students will dress professionally and practice soft skills, such as introducing themselves and articulating their elevator pitch or speech. With this practice, students can more readily apply what they have learned. “Some of the nerves also go away, allowing them to execute the content they've learned and the skills they've built in a smooth way that will lead to that success,” said Ruiz. “Upward Bound has this applied dimension to the teaching and advising, not just the demystifying dimensions. These things working together has led to the incredible outcomes and impact this program has cultivated.” 

Arce credits the program with helping her to step outside of her comfort zone as an introvert. As a student, she recalled participating in a mock presidential campaign. “I was giving a speech in front of the entire program in the big lecture hall in Exley,” she said. “So it just really helped me grow as a person.” 

The program’s metrics are impressive. At the end of the last academic year, 100 percent of the Upward Bound graduating seniors were accepted to college. Those institutions of higher education included Stanford, Columbia, and Wesleyan, as well as state colleges and universities. Some of the graduates also received selective scholarships from The Gates Scholarship, Dell Scholars, Jackie Robinson Foundation, and QuestBridge.  

Peralta believes the program’s success comes down to relationships. “We are able to build relationships with students that I don't think they're able to build at their schools. We're able to see our students holistically so we get to meet the parents, we know their communities,” said Peralta.  

Those bonds help the program staff to get buy-in from families and also hold students accountable. “There is this wonderful blend of sincerity, gentleness and realness, and fun that I think really comes together in the program,” said Ruiz, who noted that Wesleyan’s Upward Bound is a model for the nation. 

Hoque recommends it frequently to friends. “I love the field trips, the college trips, the tours, getting to know everyone, like learning more about my future and feeling safe in this community,” he said. “It's so much more than a summer program.”