Congressman Espaillat Pens an Op-Ed about Upward Bound

Congressman Adriano Espaillat along with DDC & Columbia College alumnus, Shaun Abreu, and former Upward Bound Counselor, Amber Moorer wrote an Op-Ed piece titled “Saving Upward Bound” in the May 30 edition of Inside Higher Ed. The essay mentions Double Discovery as one of the first Upward Bound programs in the country, making a forceful argument for all Upward Bound programs, and Columbia’s in particular. The essay follows a press conference held by Rep. Jerrold Nadler and Espaillat in Hamilton Hall on May 22 calling on the Secretary of Education to reconsider applications rejected for formatting errors. 

Following is an excerpt from the Op-ed.

“Programs like Upward Bound exist to counteract the countless barriers that keep poor, talented children out of college. Too many of these students find themselves just one missed deadline, financial aid application error or SAT question away from seeing their dream of a formal education slip farther out of their hands. Upward Bound programs offer crucial outreach and counseling services, including increasing academic and financial literacy for students aimed at assisting students during the college application process.” Read the entire Op-Ed here.

Pictured - Shaun Abreu, DDC’10, CC’14