When the final bell of the school year rings, all the students are as happy as can be. They can finally say its summer vacation. They get away from school, have no more stress about grades and tests, and just relax. Many people will go on cruises or to another state like Hawaii or Florida. Some people will go see relatives or go camping. But did you know that some spend another six weeks at a school? That is just crazy, who would want to spend their vacation in school? Summer is all about getting away from class. Well that’s exactly what José Vargas did. He stayed at the University of California Santa Barbara through a program called Upward Bound (UB).

   José has been in UB since the end of his eighth grade year. The man in charge, Francisco Espinosa, sent an invite letter to José and others to participate in UB. "Gold Vang, Veronica Cubillo, Luis Ruiz, Andrea Jimenez, and many more students got to experience this amazing trip" says José. "But I think more people should go. You meet new people, have great experiences and get a real sense of what college will be like. Sure you have to take classes like in regular school, but it’s not that bad. There are regular core classes and also job skill classes. You can even get a job and make some money." Students in UB also go on trips with UCSB. José says, "We have gone to the beach a lot, once to China Town in LA, all through Santa Barbara and even bowling and ice skating." José also said, "The main purpose of UB is to get more students college ready. It helps with classes and there is tutoring for the students who need it. UB also gives students a taste of what college life will be like. We stay in dorm rooms and take classes just like a college student would. It really is like going to college."

   So what do you think? Maybe staying at school for six weeks during your summer is not so bad. You get to meet new people, try new things, and even go on trips and have a lot of fun. People might think you are crazy but, why not?