Summer school is a bore. 

I have never been there, but I simply cannot imagine spending your blissful, ephemeral summer days trapped in a classroom being forced to learn what you didn’t necessarily want to learn in the first place. Most summer schools seem to operate in this fashion. You didn’t pass, so you spend the next three months preparing for the upcoming school year in order to move forward.  

 Sooner Upward Bound is different. The students selected for this program are among the best and brightest from Oklahoma City public schools. During the school year, their teachers notice their extraordinary motivation and talents, and send them off to OU for the summer in hopes that they excel and realize their full potential.              

This summer, I have had the privilege of working with Sooner Upward Bound as the TA for English II. Monday through Thursday, six sophomores file into Gittinger 338, wearied from their long walks, but eager to listen and learn. They come from either Northwest Classen, Capitol Hill, or US Grant. They are young and bright, yet uncertain about their futures.

I am unlike these students. College was never an “if” question for me. I never doubted that my parents would continue to pay for my education after attending a private school for my entire life. Coming to OU was expected of me. Amongst these expectations, I lost my appreciation for the education that I have been lucky enough to receive. 

The Upward Bound students have a deep recognition of just how valuable their time in the classroom is, and because of this they are the best students I could ever ask for.             

An English class is a wonderful thing.  In talking about characters and themes, we are really discussing ourselves, what it means to live and be part of a larger world. As we about these subjects, I have come to know my students. I have learned about their hopes, fears, and aspirations. Each has amazing capabilities and it is my hope that each continues to exhibit the same drive that brought them to Sooner Upward Bound.            

It is likely that my students will never read this article, but it is my hope that I have encouraged them half as much as they have encouraged me.  Sometimes, it is easy to be pessimistic about America’s education system. I am guilty of occasionally feeling that it is hopeless. However, through this program, my pessimism has faded. Sooner Upward Bound teaches students and instructors, alike, that advancement in the classroom and beyond is an exciting and real possibility.