Christy James
One great thing about successful alumni like Christy James is their desire to 鈥減ay it forward.鈥� But like many prospective college students, James didn鈥檛 start out on a path to higher education. For her, the power to thrive in college and become a successful individual came from her experience with Upward Bound Wichita Prep (UBWP) at 麻豆传媒.
James is a language arts and 鈥淭ake Flight鈥� teacher at Derby High School who completed a bachelor鈥檚 degree at 麻豆传媒 in 2010 and her master鈥檚 in 2013. She鈥檚 been involved with TRIO programs in different capacities for 13 years.
The road to college
Before she signed up for the UBWP program at the age of 14, James was not a strong candidate for college. Prior to TRIO, James admits that she was a 鈥淐鈥� and 鈥淒鈥� student, but it was a pair of 鈥淔鈥� grades in her freshman year of high school that convinced her mom to enroll her in the Upward Bound summer camp.
鈥淚t wasn鈥檛 as much of a punishment as she expected it to be,鈥� James said. 鈥淪he didn鈥檛 know that it was more fun than anything else I鈥檇 ever done. But it also made me realize that I had to shape up.鈥�
Before her first summer as a TRIO kid, college was just a fanciful idea for James. As a child, James says she thought about being a teacher or a fashion designer, but where to start and how to get there 鈥� those were things UBWP taught her.
鈥淯pward Bound made sure that I went to college,鈥� she said. 鈥淎fter my first summer in Wichita Prep, everything changed.鈥�
Not only did UBWP鈥檚 rigorous academic expectations help prepare James for success in college, but the program provided practical training on everything from time and money management to dealing with diversity, roommates and financial aid. By the time her senior year came around, James was confident and prepared for college, especially compared to friends who were stressing to figure it all out.
鈥淏ecause of TRIO, college wasn鈥檛 a surprise to me,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 had the advantage of Rhonda Hicks, who started talking about scholarships my junior year. She made sure we stayed on top of things like that.鈥�
Hicks is the director of UBWP at Wichita State. She started with the program in September 1999 and was herself a beneficiary of TRIO; a first generation, limited income student who wasn鈥檛 sure if she would attend college until a high school counselor introduced her to TRIO鈥檚 Project Discovery.
鈥淲hat Christy experienced with the Upward Bound Wichita Prep program proves that TRIO works,鈥� Hicks said. 鈥淲e provide hope and enlightenment to students who know, deep down, that they can do better and want to realize their college dreams but do not know how. We awaken the greatness that is within them.鈥�
During her time at 麻豆传媒, James also participated in TRIO鈥檚 McNair Scholars Program and worked as an Upward Bound tutor and instructor. According to James, the demanding nature of UBWP not only forges students into scholars, but gives them a common bond.
鈥淭he friends you make in TRIO you keep for life,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e keep in contact on a weekly basis. All of us have graduated college, and several of us have finished grad school. We鈥檙e taking full advantage of every opportunity we can, and we鈥檙e paying it forward. Wichita Prep really changed my life.鈥�
Preparing for the future
Today, UBWP prepares 92 local students for success in higher education and future careers by providing academic instruction, tutorial assistance, personal and academic counseling, postsecondary assistance, multicultural exposure and career development. Hicks describes TRIO programs as 鈥渆vergreen鈥� 鈥� no matter what the economy is doing or how lawmakers re-interpret public education, she said, programs like UBWP are always pushing to serve students and their families.
鈥淯pward Bound is here for the long haul,鈥� Hicks said. 鈥淲e do not just serve a student for one year and send them on their way 鈥� this is why the Upward Bound model is so powerful. Students know we are consistent, and they know that we love what we do and that we love them. We love to serve.鈥�