Imagine this: a young person has finally found a space where they feel they belong. That they can unmask and be who they really are. No fake smiles, no pleasantries, nothing. Genuine connections with people like them, doing things they enjoy. Learning where they belong in this vast and ever-changing world.

Then, the year they discover this, it is ripped away. It feels like the world has collapsed on them. The space generations of people have worked so hard to not only protect, but to spread, grow and make accessible, has just collapsed. It feels hopeless, like nothing will ever fill that gap.

Upward Bound was a program that exposed high school students from low-income families to college life through taking classes and being on campus. They held events, offered tutoring, helped with college applications and provided career and financial aid for families struggling to get their kid(s) a good education. It also targeted first generation college students, hoping to increase their chances of accessing a higher education. With this program, the number of students who not only attended college but graduated raised from 60% to 90%.

The physical program was held during the summer at a local college campus. Ours was SUNY Plattsburgh. Recently, the Trump administration cut several important grants, limiting what the program can do and what areas they can reach. Places like ours lost Upward Bound entirely.

The experience of going to Upward Bound was inspirational — it allowed so many to finally break out of their shells and really be themselves. Without this amazing program, not only are the youth losing an accessible way to college, but a way to break out, to learn how to be a person, how to be comfortable in their own skin, while being able to try new things and experiment without the fear of potentially dangerous backlash.

Connections that were made are now broken. Friendships and relationships are fractured. An education, an escape, is gone. There is not a community nor space that can amount to what Upward Bound was for so many people. The more this is emphasized, the clearer everyone’s voices are, even the ones who won’t, or can’t, speak up. When one voice rises up, it carries thousands of others that are too scared or incapable to speak up themselves.

The administration may say that Upward Bound was just a program, or just a waste of funds, but the people, both attendees and not, will disagree. I’ve gotten myself an outside source to back this up. L. Randolph, a friend of mine, said something that really stuck with me about community, and people’s strength.

“I think community in general is important. It doesn’t really matter why we gather in the grand scheme of things. Coming together to do something with other people is one of the most enjoyable things humans can do. Community is creating bonds and friendships from the ground up, making them that much more impactful. A support system is something every individual needs for a good quality of life, and the process of having a circle of people supporting each other meets that need perfectly” (November 8th, 2025).

His sentiment is something I wholeheartedly support myself. Community is not only the strength of the people, it is the strength of the mind. So long as we stay together, we’ll be alright.

Without a community, Upward Bound or not, people will struggle. People will lose themselves in their minds, they’ll struggle to connect and find each other, and most importantly, they’ll lose that part of being human. When you take a space away from people, you are literally ripping them apart.

Though, if you lift yourself up and fight, with words, music, actions, education, anything, then it all can be a weapon to fight back against blatant suppression. As long as the people stay together, there is no silencing.

Fighting for spaces like Upward Bound saves people. These spaces let us thrive, allowing anyone to get a higher education. If you care about your child, yourself or anyone you know getting a higher education and accessing community, you need to fight for these spaces.

Even one voice can make a huge difference.

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Pheonix Yagy is a sophomore at Saranac Lake High School. Pheonix has been featured through the Adirondack Center for Writing and the Adirondack Daily Enterprise.