High school students get full-time preview of college

By Adrienne Ancheta
Advertiser Staff Writer

After six weeks of all-day classes and living in dormitories as part of Windward Community College's Upward Bound summer program, 48 high school students are homeward bound.

	More about Upward Bound
•	What: A free college prep program for students who show potential to go to college, are from low-income families and/or are the first in their families to pursue a degree.
•	Where: Windward Community College.
•	Who: WCC has 50 openings for students who have just completed 10th or 11th grades. Openings are reserved for Castle, Kailua, Kahuku and Kalaheo High School students, and students who live on the Windward side but go to school elsewhere.
•	Information: Call Sandy Matsui, 235-7466.

Upward Bound is paid for with federal money and targets 13- to 19-year-old students who show the potential to go to college, are from low-income families and/or are the first in their families to pursue a degree.

A need to provide assistance to Windward students, especially Hawaiians — who are underrepresented at most college campuses — motivated WCC Dean of Student Services Sandy Matsui to write for the grant.

"High schools here, with all they have to do, don't have the resources to help (these students)," she said. Of the 48 students, about 75 percent are of Hawaiian ancestry.

A staff of 21 teachers and students from WCC, College Connections, Leeward Community College, Heald Business College, the University of Hawai'i, and Kalani, Kamehameha and Kahuku high schools teach classes such as Hawaiian practical arts, career explorations and college success.

Besides taking SAT practice tests, students also receive Palm Pilots to learn time management.

Classes start at 8 a.m. and the day doesn't end until 10:30 p.m. with late-night study sessions and other activities. Staying at Hawai'i Pacific University dormitories on weekdays, students able go home only on weekends.

"The first week people were saying the week was dragging and was boring," said Ashley Fely, a Kahuku senior and student body president. "Now, nobody wants to leave."

The staff has never had a problem with attendance, although they force students to leave on weekends. When Matsui gave a few Kahuku students the option to return to campus Sunday night instead of Monday morning to alleviate commute time for their parents, 25 students arrived that Sunday.

Though students were reluctant to leave home and attend classes at the start of the summer, the food, friendship and education has them wishing the program wouldn't end.

"We've learned so much in a short period of time," said Kailua senior Jeffrey Aquino. "Not only did we learn stuff about colleges and SAT prep, but also you learn a lot about yourself."

Students have even asked to keep one book from the program, "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens" by Sean Covey.

While the summer component of Upward Bound is over, the program extends through the year in its Summer Bridge Component, helping seniors with their final college preparations and offering monthly seminars.

Juniors in the program also are a part of it until they graduate and are welcome to return the following summer.

"I'm envious (of the juniors) because I don't get to come back," Aquino said. "They should have started this last year so I could've been in it then."

The program has yielded an extra dividend. Inspired by their example, some of the students say their parents are becoming interested in going to college.