The week leading up to Feb. 24, 2017, was one of increasing excitement leading up to the departure of 23 Upward Bound students headed for the historic city of Savannah, Georgia. In addition to the incredible cultural and historical aspects of this tour, it was especially significant for the students because the colleges offer in-state tuition rates for Florida residents.
The timing of the trip coincided with open houses and campus tours of Savannah State University, Armstrong State University, and Savannah College of Art and Design including historical walks, campus tours and classroom simulations to give students a taste of real college life and the ambiance of the historically significant Savannah, Georgia, area.
The bus departed Gainesville early Friday morning and arrived at Savannah College of Art and Design just in time for a walking tour of the college and an introduction to campus life.
Following a break for lunch, students moved on to a tour of Savannah State University where they toured the grounds. Students took advantage of a break in the day for an impromptu photo shoot with the University mascot.
Immediately following breakfast Saturday morning, students were off to the Pirate Preview Open House at Armstrong University where they were treated to lunch and a tour of the campus.
By 4:30 they were back on the bus and rolling south to Gainesville. It was a whirlwind few days, but there were opportunities to get a feel for the incredible history of the Savannah area as well as possibly discovering the university that has a chair waiting just for them.
All students on the trip are attending either Bradford High School or Newberry High School and have demonstrated their commitment to the Upward Bound program by attending classes and tutorial sessions, showing mature behavior on campus, and remaining in good standing academically over the course of their affiliation with Upward Bound.