For nearly 60 years, UVA’s Upward Bound — later rebranded as Uplift@UVa — has been transformative for first-generation college students and families with limited incomes to help prepare them for higher education. Marquan Jones, a 2019 graduate of the program, credits it with giving him the confidence and skills to thrive in college and beyond.
“It wasn’t just about academics,” he reflects in Vinegar Hill Magazine, “it was about learning who I was and building a community that believed in me.”
Now, UVA has discontinued Uplift@UVa, citing budget and enrollment challenges. While the university points to other programs supporting local youth, the closure is a heavy loss for a community that has relied on the program for decades.
Jones’ story is part of First Person Charlottesville, a program of Charlottesville Inclusive Media, a partnership between Vinegar Hill Magazine, the In My Humble Opinion radio show and Charlottesville Tomorrow.
Read about his experience in Vinegar Hill Magazine.
Subscribers to the Daily Progress can read more about the discontinuation of the program here.
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