Movin’ on Up! Upward Bound Gets Students on the Path to Success

South Mountain Community College is committed to the success of our students and members of our community. This summer, we welcomed a group of young men and women to campus to learn about college and the SMCC experience through a program called the Upward Bound Summer Enrichment Program. During this seven-week session, high-school students were enmeshed in the college experience, both at SMCC and at Northern Arizona University. By all accounts, the program was a huge success.

The Upward Bound class was one of the first to really get involved in the strengths-based curriculum being rolled out at SMCC this fall. Each student completed the Strengths Quest Inventory and then attended communication classes during their six weeks at SMCC, where they created videos using their results. Up at NAU for the last week of the program, students participated in a forestry class and camped in the Centennial Forest.

The students were questioned at the end of the program about how effective they felt their learning had been and if they were more focused on continuing their education. To a person, they all said that they were much more interested in attending college after seeing how much support was available and that they had within themselves the ability to succeed.

What part does knowing your strengths play into your success as a student and in life? Share your experiences in the comments below!