Highlights

My name is Vivian Mason. I joined Upward Bound as an incoming 9th grader. I went to Hawthorne High School and graduated in 2017. Upward Bound offered an immense support system outside of my family. The program taught me to be independent, to challenge myself, and most of all to value education and all the opportunities it has to offer. I am currently a student at University of California San Diego majoring in Political Science with an emphasis in Public Law and minoring in Latin American Studies. I plan to enter Law School after graduation to pursue my goal of becoming a lawyer. 

Natalie Carias graduated as part of Upward Bound’s class of 2018. She attended Hawthorne High and joined Upward Bound during the summer following her freshman year. The UB service that most benefitted her and her family were the many Saturday Academy’s she attended, especially as a senior. Here she was able to get help on her college applications and file FAFSA. As the first in her family to go to college, she felt that UB greatly helped her navigate these systems that her family was unfamiliar with. She is now currently enrolled at UCLA and is studying Psychobiology. In the future she hopes to pursue medical school and become a physician to help address the healthcare disparities in medically underserved communities. 

My name is Margarita Calvillo, I am a CSUDH Upward Bound Alumni and tutor. I graduated from Thomas Jefferson High School in 2018. During my senior year of high school, I proudly became part of the first Upward Bound cohort at Jefferson. Being the first in my family to attend college was one of my top priorities. Upward Bound helped bridge my lack of guidance in applying to college. They have helped me tremendously and because of UB, I am where I am now. My family and I appreciate Upward Bound, specially Nivardo for his dedication to guiding me through my entire college experience. I am very grateful to have joined my Upward Bound family as a staff member. To this day I know I can count on them when it comes to my education. As an alumni I am aware of the obstacles first-generation students face therefore I am committed to supporting their education. I am currently enrolled at California State University Dominguez Hills where I will graduate in May 2022. My major is Sociology and I am minoring in Criminal Justice. I am aiming to continue school to obtain a master’s or a doctorate degree. I would like to work in the criminal justice system either as a detective or a district attorney.   

Hey everyone! My name is Celeste Aranda. I am from UB alumni class of 2018. I was in the 10th grade attending Leuzinger High School when I joined UB. The UB service that helped me the most was planning for college and financial aid. When I started high school, I knew I wanted to go to college but had no idea where to start. I will forever be thankful for UB because they gave me the tools and support so I would have the opportunity to go to college. I am currently enrolled at CSU Dominguez Hills. I also am currently studying Business Administration with a concentration in Management & Human Resources. My future goals/plans after graduating with a master’s degree is to one day be a part of a big company or own my own company.