Upward Bound Impacts Two Eastland Students

By Tom Kocal

LANARK ­ Brittney Lemieux and Ingrid Hare are two active young ladies at Eastland High School. With different interests, they still find a common bond. that bond is Highland Community College's Upward Bound program.

Upward Bound serves 65 high school students from Freeport, Le-Win, Eastland, Pearl City, and Savanna. The free program provides tutoring, teambuilding, academic guidance and instruction, ACT test prep, college selection and application preparation, and summer work-study.

"It's a pre-college program that shows students the importance of getting good grades and taking every opportunity to improve your future," Ingrid said. "That includes community service."

"It's a four-year project," added Brittney. "We entered as freshmen, and are on a 3-month probationary period before we get a stipend, which we save for college expenses. We have to plan ahead, get good grades, and follow through."

"It's an encouragement program," Ingrid added.

Community service projects are required monthly. "If you know what kind of a career you will be heading into, Outward Bound likes you to do service projects that relate to your chosen field," Brittney said. "They want you to go above and beyond."

Brittney has been involved with helping the City of Lanark develop their web site, while Ingrid has helped clean up the City Park, and surrounding highway's. Both have assisted in gathering food and packaging it for delivery to local food pantries.

Their joint senior project is a benefit garage sale for a Lanark resident, Rick Phelps, who is battling cancer. Phelps has two young sons.

"We'll be holding fundraisers, like 'Penny Wars' in the schools, to help pay some of his medical expenses, or just to help him feel more comfortable, and maybe have a little fun with his kids," Ingrid said.

"We also have the Heritage Center booked for December 3 and 4," Brittney said. "We will have a Garage Sale, with all the proceeds going toward Mr. Phelps. We are looking for some items to be donated for the sale, and monetary donations."

The duo also are planning a Benefit Meal, and an auction of donated items.

Watch the Prairie Advocate for details, coming soon. In the meantime, contact Brittney or Ingrid at Eastland High School if you wish to help the cause.?(This just in . . . Brittney is a Digital Media Arts student at the Whiteside Area Career Center, and was recently named September Student of the Month for outstanding effort and performance at the Center in Sterling.)

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