UB BACK IN CLASS
AUGUST & SEPTEMBER 2026
STAY UP TO DATE WITH ALL UPWARD BOUND NEWS!
OVERVIEW:
Weekly Meetings Stay Connected & Stay Ahead Important Dates & Events August & September Birthdays 2026-27 Required Paperwork Scholarships
CONTACT US:
Traci Mitchell, Director tmitchell@vhcc.edu 276-739-2506 Stacey Dorton, Academic Coordinator sdorton@vhcc.edu 276-739-2507 Ella Ratcliffe-Sutherland, Office Manager eratcliffe@vhcc.edu 276-739-2479 Follow us on Facebook and Instagram @vhccupwardbound
WEEKLY MEETINGS:
Our Kick-Off meeting will start the week of Labor Day, but we will send out an online assignment September 1. Please be watching your email and complete the assignment to earn your $10! This assignment will help us in our planning of meeting topics, guest speakers, and college tours.
CHS
Will meet every Wednesday during Warrior Block. Attend at either 1:15 or 2:55 in the library beginning on Sept. 9.
NHS
Will meet every Wednesday before school at 7:45 in the library beginning on Sept. 9.
VHS
We will meet every Wednesday and will alternate between 8:15 and during lunch. Meetings will be held in the library and will begin on Sept. 9 during lunch.
HHS
Will meet every Thursday and will alternate between 7:45 and during lunch. Meetings will be held in the auditorium and will begin on Sept 10 during lunch.
PHHS
Will meet every Thursday and will alternate between 7:45 and during lunch. Meetings will be held in the library before school and the conference room during lunch. We will begin on Sept 10 at 7:45
STAY CONNECTED & STAY AHEAD Check your email! This is our most efficienty way of communicating with you. Sign up for Upward Bound Remind: Download the REMIND App, text 81010 and enter the following codes for your high school:
Chilhowie: @g33zzz Holston: @eh47a4 Northwood: @864b6kg Patrick Henry: @64ddd6 Virginia High: @kg8g462
Utilize your free online tutoring & writing center: Go to www.brainfuse.com and click on “Login”. Your username is the first letter of your first name, last name, birthday (ex:jdoe01012009). The password is VHCCUpwardBound2020 SAT/ACT Prep: If you are interested, we will purchase a month of classes for you. Use the QR code below for more information and to let us know if you are interested. It will be due by September 25.
Each week we will send out the dates, times, & locations on Facebook, in an email, and on Remind for your school. Attend your weekly meetings to earn $$$!!!
SEPTEMBER MEETING GOALS:
During the month of September, our goal is to get everyone off on the right foot so we can ROCK the year. We will go over the UB Handbook, make sure all paperwork is complete, work on Individual Student Plans (ISP), get logged into the online accounts we use, give out Opportunities Booklets, go over timelines, and our biggest goal for September is to start using our UB planners! If you already have your UB planner, please bring it to our first meetings. If you don’t have one, we will give you one!
UB BACK IN CLASS Let's ROCK this school year!
IMPORTANT DATES: September 1 College Night at the Higher Ed Center in Abingdon September 2 College Night at Oak Point Elementary
Jayelah Daugherty 8/5 Addison Vestal 8/11 Lilly Cline 8/15 Conton Cantrell 8/17 Channing Waldie 8/18 Olivia Lewis 8/26 Mathew Diaz-Vicenti 8/26 Alexander Morales 8/27 Case Mullins 8/28 Gianella Gutierrez 8/31 Jazmine Proulex-Cato 9/11 Lillian Sanders 9/16 Easton Houchins 9/27 HAVE YOU FILLED OUT YOUR 2026-27 REQUIRED PAPERWORK?
September 9 & 10 Weekly Meetings Begin September 11 ACT registration deadline for the 10/17 test date September 12 SAT test day September 18 SAT registration deadline for the 10/3 test date September 19 ACT test day September 25 All UB paperwork and forms are due! October 1 The 2027-28 FAFSA opens to everyone October 3 SAT test day October 17 ACT test day October 23 SAT registration deadline for the 11/7 test date
Be sure to add these dates to your UB planner! STIPEND CHECKS FOR FALL 2026 WILL BE MAILED OUT IN DECEMBER!
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2026 SCHOLARSHIPS
UB TUNED IN Stay up to date with scholarship deadlines!
Sept 15: The Gates Scholarship www.thegatesscholarship.org/scholarship Sept 30: Don't Text and Drive Scholarship www.digitalresponsibility.org/dont-text-anddrive-scholarship Sept 23: United States Senate Youth Program https://ussenateyouth.org/the-hearstfoundations/ Sept 30: Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation https://www.cocacolascholarsfoundation.org/apply/ Mid October: Tom Burkett Educational Scholarship (for Smyth County students only -contact your Guidance Counselor) Oct 1: Quest Bridge National College Match www.questbridge.org Oct 8: AES Engineers Scholarship www.aesengineers.com/scholarships.php Oct 31: Voice of Democracy Scholarship https://www.vfw.org/community/youth-andeducation/youth-scholarships Seniors...scholarship drawings are underway at cb.org/opportunity Don’t forget to log into your College Board account and complete these tasks! Don’t wait until the last minute. Start working on these early and ask us for help!