Palo Alto College TRiO Upward Bound program gets $1.54 million grant 2 students named Dell Scholars

Guadalupe “Lupe” Hernandez

Palo Alto College has received a $1.54 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education to continue the College’s existing TRiO Upward Bound Program for five years, effective September 2012, U.S. Rep. Francisco Canseco announced. The program’s four target schools are located in Atascosa County – Lytle High School, Jourdanton High School, Pleasanton High School and Poteet High School. 



Palo Alto College’s TRiO Upward Bound Program has served over 70 students per year since the program launched in 1999. The program is designed to generate the academic skills and motivation necessary for students to successfully graduate from high school and then complete a post-secondary education program. 
Upward Bound serves high school students from low-income families, and high school students from families in which neither parent holds a bachelor's degree. The goal of Upward Bound is to increase the rate at which participants complete secondary education and enroll in and graduate from institutions of postsecondary education. The program provides diverse activities and a comprehensive curriculum throughout the year that address the educational, social, emotional, cultural, and recreational needs of participants

Norma Soria

Two Upward Bound students, Guadalupe “Lupe” Hernandez and Norma Soria, were named Class of 2012 Dell Scholars by the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation. As Dell Scholars, Hernandez and Soria will each receive $20,000 to continue their higher education for the next six years.

Hernandez, a senior at Pleasanton High School, will be attending Houston Baptist University in Houston, while Soria, a senior at Lytle High School, will study nursing at Texas State University in San Marcos. Both students are the first in their family to attend college. Through the Upward Bound program, both students have completed nearly 800 hours to their college preparation. The $20,000 scholarship will be issued over four years, but the students have up to six years to use the funds. In addition to the scholarship, the students will receive computer equipment, computer technical support, textbook vouchers, tutoring services, and mentorship.