[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 108 (Monday, July 21, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1542]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY UPWARD BOUND PROGRAM CELEBRATES 25TH ANNIVERSARY

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                         HON. PAUL E. KANJORSKI

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, July 21, 2003

  Mr. KANJORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to call the attention of the 
House of Representatives to the success of the Bloomsburg University 
Upward Bound Program, which will celebrate its 25th anniversary on 
Saturday, July 26th.
  To celebrate this important milestone, the Bloomsburg University 
Upward Bound Program will hold a reunion with many of its graduates 
this Saturday, July 26th. Five years ago I spoke to this group on its 
twentieth anniversary, and I wish all of my colleagues could have 
witnessed the stories from graduates who told what the program meant to 
them and how it changed their lives. Most of all, I was impressed with 
the human connections that promising but struggling high school 
students found in the leaders of the Upward Bound Program. They found 
mentors who could start them on the path to success for life, and this 
is a wonderful and remarkable achievement.
  Led by two outstanding women, Ruth Anne Bond and Maureen Mulligan, 
the Bloomsburg University Upward Bound Program has, over the last 25 
years, fulfilled a vital role in the Bloomsburg community. The program 
gives young people opportunities and assistance in exploring their 
potential for academic, social and personal growth. Its purpose is to 
provide equal access to-post-secondary education for high school 
students by giving them adequate preparation to compete at the college 
level and beyond.
  Students are provided with developmental work in areas where they 
need help, enrichment where they are strong, and exposure to new areas 
where they have yet to be challenged. Through tutoring for academic 
improvement, counseling to address career and personal matters, 
guidance on the college admissions and financial aid processes and 
training in test-taking skills, students gain the confidence and skills 
needed to succeed.
  The program consists of three parts, the Academic Year Program, the 
Summer Program and the Bridge Program. During the school year, the 
program operates ten service centers, with an emphasis on tutoring, 
assistance with college and financial aid planning, local and national 
test preparation, cultural activities, and personal and academic 
counseling. The six-week summer residential program at Bloomsburg 
University provides intensive academic preparation, enrichment, career 
and college counseling, cultural experiences and personal and social 
growth opportunities. The Bridge program is another summer residential 
program for students between high-school graduation and the first year 
at college. The program allows them to obtain up to six college credits 
from Bloomsburg University and also offers participants advice and 
preparation for excelling in their upcoming freshmen year.
  The Bloomsburg University Upward Bound program has an indisputable 
record of success, with 88% of its high school graduates going on to 
post-secondary educational institutions and a 72% retention rate at 
those institutions.
  Mr. Speaker, just a small federal investment has allowed Upward Bound 
to change the lives of countless young people. I am especially proud of 
the success of the Bloomsburg University program, and I wish everyone 
associated with it all the best.

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