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| Dan Ferguson |
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| Lorena Yanez |
The same year as area officials worked to open the educational institution now known as Southwestern Community College, a federally funded program named Upward Bound was also launched.
As they observe their respective 50th anniversaries, the two have a lot more in common than that 1964 birthday.
Each provides extensive support to students, and both were established to give people a better opportunity for a brighter future.
“We think it’s an amazing and very appropriate coincidence that Southwestern and Upward Bound are sharing a golden anniversary,” said Annette Kesgen, director of SCC’s Upward Bound program. “Together, we continue to make a tremendous impact on this area.”
While Upward Bound was established nationally 50 years ago, the program arrived at SCC in 1999 – making this its 15th year of serving students from Smoky Mountain, Cherokee, Swain and Franklin high schools.
Upward Bound is a college preparatory program funded by the United States Department of Education as a TRIO program. It’s designed to encourage academic success in high-potential students.
That’s exactly what happened for Whittier-native Dan Ferguson, who joined Upward Bound in the summer of his sophomore year at Smoky Mountain High. He graduated from Smoky Mountain in 2008 and went on to earn his bachelor’s in psychology from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill in 2012.
“It was really a great experience,” Ferguson said recently. “Even without Upward Bound, I probably would have gone to college. But the UNC-Chapel Hill is a top-tier school … The people in Upward Bound encouraged me; they said: ‘Why not apply?’ And they helped me with the application process.
“What helped me the most were probably the group-building activities,” Ferguson added. “In the summer program, I got to know others in similar situations. Upward Bound was a common link for all of us. It helps so much to know you’re not alone.”
Lorena Yanez of Sylva, who also joined the program her sophomore year at Smoky Mountain, is now a student at SCC. She’s set to graduate next week and plans to transfer to Western Carolina University in the spring.
“If it hadn’t been for Upward Bound, I don’t know where I’d stand,” Yanez said. “All of the staff members are so supportive: Annette, Erica (Muse) and Cheryl (Renfro). They’re always there to help. … It’s hard to put into words what they’ve done for me and the other students. I’m very lucky there’s a program like Upward Bound here.”
For more information about Upward Bound, call 828.339.4281 or akesgen@southwesterncc.edu.
