[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 20 (Thursday, January 30, 2020)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E111]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     CELEBRATING OCCIDENTAL COLLEGE UPWARD BOUND'S 55TH ANNIVERSARY

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                            HON. JIMMY GOMEZ

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, January 30, 2020

  Mr. GOMEZ. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Upward Bound at 
Occidental College as it celebrates its 55th anniversary. As one of the 
country's oldest and most successful Upward Bound programs, Oxy Upward 
Bound has been assisting low-income, underserved, and first-generation 
students from central and northeast Los Angeles achieve success both in 
their pre-college achievement and their higher education pursuits.
   Through one-on-one academic advisement, weekly academic enrichment 
services, workshops, cultural activities, and a summer residential 
experience, Oxy Upward Bound's programs helps students develop key 
skill sets that positively impact their academic performances in high 
school while also exposing and guiding them through the rigors of the 
college experience.
   Oxy Upward Bound works to ensure scholars graduate from high school 
with a solid post-secondary plan--both academic and financial--and 
those students can graduate from a 4-year college or university in 6 
years or less.
   Over the past five years, 99 percent of Oxy Upward Bound students 
have advanced a grade level or graduated from high school, with 90 
percent of those graduating from high school going on to enroll in 
college.
   Among college access programs, Oxy Upward Bound stands out in that 
its chief goal is not to produce applicants to Occidental--although 
some participants have ended up enrolling at and graduating from the 
College--but to contribute to higher education nationwide and empower 
students to triumph over systematic, institutional barriers to 
opportunity and progress.
   As Oxy Upward Bound celebrates 55 years of success, I am confident 
it will continue to inspire and serve students for even more years to 
come.
   Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring Upward 
Bound at Occidental College on their anniversary for their excellent 
work on behalf of students in Los Angeles.

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