Who I am is divided into two distinct sections: the shy, reliant child I was before Upward Bound and the confident, independent adult I have become. Upward Bound (UB) is a college preparatory program for low-income, first-generation college students, but its effects go much deeper than that. The workshops during the school year provide opportunities to meet college students in an informal setting where they can be honest about their college experiences. My first year I remember a girl telling me, “The first week I got to college I cried myself to sleep every night,” which was terrifying to hear. It made me dread the summer segment of UB, when I would stay on Ohio University’s campus in Athens for five weeks to take mock college classes. However, I still participated because I needed to know if I was capable of living away from home. The first night staying in the …show more content…
At home, homework always came first because there was nothing to do. In Athens, there are shops everywhere and I decided that homework was more important. I also made decisions about my diet, such as drinking five pops a day, having froyo with every meal, and eating everything deep fried or drinking water, eating fruit, and making salads. This freedom has helped me transition from being a kid to knowing I can make the right decisions as an adult.
I am an extroverted, self-sustaining woman that does not need her parents to tell her how and when to do things. My first summer phase was the turning point in my life because it showed everyone that I could do it on my own. Campus is my favorite place to be because I love the freedom to do as I wish and the enjoyment of accepting and being accepted by others. Much like the metamorphosis of young caterpillars into butterflies, I, too, went through an experience that allowed me to break free of my