Ouachita Stories

Each year Ouachita Baptist University’s Upward Bound program helps to get junior high and high school students to start thinking about college, and more importantly to recognize that postsecondary education can be a reality for them all. Upward Bound is inviting high school seniors along with their families to Upward Bound Senior Saturday on Sept. 11 to learn more about the application process and financial aid. The event will begin at 10 a.m. in McClellan Hall 100 on Ouachita’s Arkadelphia campus.

“We want to fully prepare students for college,” said Terrence Carter, OBU’s director of Upward Bound.

“Our purpose is to serve students who are underserved,” Carter said, “and make college a tradition in families that it hasn’t been.”

Upward Bound targets students who are either considered to be in a low income demographic or whose parents did not attend college or receive other postsecondary education. OBU’s program targets 15 school districts throughout southwest Arkansas.

“Senior Saturday concentrates specifically on making sure our students are getting registered for school,” Carter said. “We’re just making sure everything gets done in time.”

OBU’s Upward Bound program was established in 1966 and is a federally-funded TRIO program. Currently, Ouachita serves as host to three programs, the Academic Enrichment Center, Educational Talent Search and Upward Bound.

“We have had a great working relationship with the university,” Carter said.

Current OBU students are a major resource in Upward Bound’s mentor program throughout the year. Mentors visit high schools throughout the region and meet with the program’s students on a monthly basis. They help to teach workshops on college preparation and prepare students for ACT testing. OBU students are recruited as program assistants, serving as resident assistants during summer educational camps.

Upward Bound is also partnering with TRIO Talent Search on Oct. 2 to host TRIO Family Day. This event provides similar information as Senior Saturday but targets all students from sixth through 12th grade. Guest speakers will discuss how to fill out financial aid forms such as the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) as well as answer questions about specific scholarships that pertain to each student. They will also explain how to apply to student loans and try to ease some of the stress that can be associated with debt after college.

“Family Day is a chance for parents to hear the information alongside the students,” Carter said.

Both events are designed to educate and involve the entire family in the college application process. Carter said he expects a great turnout this year and hopes to add some new students to the OBU community in the future.

For more information about Upward Bound, contact Terrence Carter at [email protected].

By Korrie Browning