Wahupa: Upward Bound’, or just ‘Wahupa,” is a college preparation program that's been serving Lincoln since 2012. They offer a wide variety of activities as well as support for their students. But at their core they are a college prep program. But just how can one transition from Wahupa into College? I’ve asked 3 different former members here at Lincoln who are all now in college to recount their experience in Wahupa and to explain how the program has led them to where they are now.

Former Wahupa member, Leslie, shares that the program had a good balance of incentives and work. She said, “It was so fun. The environment was always super friendly, and there was the perfect balance of work and play since ultimately - it was a college bound program.” She goes into detail about the opportunities she was offered such as a spring break trip in which they visited colleges in LA. Leslie also mentioned that they offer tutoring after school as well as lots of SAT prep, and academic enrichment activities on the weekends. She describes these opportunities by saying, “These opportunities were ultimately my main source of motivation for college.”

A fellow alumni of Wahupa, Patricia, described her experience applying to college with Wahupa’s assistance. She recalls that, “It was hard to get answers from my teacher since he had to help so many students.. Wahupa had a smaller group of students and also had people that were knowledgeable in the application process.” Patricia explains that the program is structured in a way where students can approach their advisors without fear of judgment. So, If a student would like 1 on 1 support while applying for colleges, all they need to do is ask. Overall - Wahupa was a source of additional support that made it possible for her to apply & ultimately attend college. 

Rosa the most recent Lincoln graduate & Wahupa alumni went from someone who didn’t care about college, to someone who wants to major in aerospace engineering with Wahupa’s support. She says that “Wahupa got me interested in college to begin with cause I lowkey didn’t care that much before. They helped me choose what colleges I wanted to apply to based on my preferences and what I wanted to major in.” Rosa goes into the support she received stating, “They helped me with the actual application process and getting my financial aid sorted out because I would not have gotten that done by myself.” She doubles down on her previous statement and explains that if it weren’t for Wahupa, she probably wouldn’t be in college right now.

All in all, Wahupa is a key factor as to why all 3 of these girls are now in college. The support and the opportunities they offer go beyond what is typically available in a classroom. Rosa even stated that now as a college freshman she’s stayed in touch with her advisor who continues to support her. Wahupa is putting their students on track to attend college; if you’re interested in going to college, Join! They meet weekly at Lincoln, Tuesdays-Thursdays, in room 672. Speak to a counselor about joining.