07/31/2017
Dear MSJ Upward Bound Supporters,
We regret to inform you that the Upward Bound program at Mount St. Joseph University will be closing at the end of this summer on August 31st. This closure comes as a result of the U.S. Department of Education choosing not to renew the grant that funded the program. Unfortunately, the Mount’s application to renew funding was one of more than 300 applications from Upward Bound programs across the country that was denied.
The Upward Bound program at the Mount has served almost 900 students and families since it began 18 years ago. For the last five years, the program was funded each year to serve 60 economically disadvantaged and first-generation high school students in Grades 9-12. It has been our honor to serve these students and their families in assisting them in becoming college-ready.
Thank you to our Upward Bound staff at the Mount for their service to our students and families. Director Marsha Watts, Academic Advisor Montez Sorrells and Program Coordinator Shaonta' Allen have worked diligently to prepare students for success in their post-secondary careers.
We thank our secondary school partners from Cincinnati Public Schools: Aiken, Clark, Dater, Gamble, Hughes, Oyler, Riverview East Academy, School for Creative and Performing Arts, Shroder, Taft, Walnut Hills, and Western Hills. We also recognize our private school partners, DePaul Cristo Rey, Purcell Marian, and Roger Bacon High Schools.
We especially want to thank all of our Upward Bound families, past and present, for trusting us to be a part of their students’ lives. We celebrate the successes of our Upward Bound alumni, and wish our students all the very best as they continue their educational journeys.
