Sixteen-year-old Bianka Sanders went to the front of the room, placed her violin on the left side of her chin and filled the air with music.
But this Eastside High School junior wants to do more than just play the violin. She has big dreams.
“I want to go to Princeton and become an anesthesiologist,” she said.
Upward Bound at UF, a program that helps low-income high school students prepare for college, will help Sanders achieve her dream.
Through Upward Bound, Sanders has gained knowledge about college and has adapted to new study habits and work ethics, she said.
Doctors, attorneys, professors and business owners were invited to learn more about the participants in the program Thursday night in Dauer Hall.
Barbara McDade Gordon, director of Upward Bound, said the event’s goal is to showcase the students’ talents and gain its support to the community.
“Our kids can learn from them, and they can share their resources,” she said.
Upward Bound is funded by the U.S. Department of Education and serves the public schools in Alachua and Bradford counties. Participants in the program take classes in the fall and spring from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturdays. They are also offered after-school tutoring and attend a six-week summer session where they live on campus.
Participants come from low-income households with parents who don’t have bachelor’s degrees when starting the program, she said.
About 85 to 90 percent of the students go to college the year after they graduate, McDade Gordon said.
