"Upward Bound" is a memoir about resilience and faith, grounded in the belief that education can transform lives. In the tenth grade, Betty A. Barr was selected for the Upward Bound at Claflin College. The program director, a brilliant and inspiriting leader, encouraged them to believe in themselves and pursue education with determination. This experience became the catalyst for Betty's future. At Claflin, she met Fredrick, who would later become her husband. He, too, came from modest roots, having lost his mother to cancer at a young age. Despite many obstacles, he excelled academically and joined ROTC at South Carolina State College. During college, Betty worked as a tutor counselor in Upward Bound, teaching math and developing leadership skills. After earning my degree, she began teaching and later completed a Master of Education and Doctor of Philosophy. Fredrick earned a degree in mathematics, then a master's in statistics from Miami University. While he studied, Betty taught in Ohio, and after graduation, he was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army. From the cotton fields of South Carolina to classrooms, cockpits, and medical clinics, our journey proves that dreams, though distant, can become reality. With persistence and faith, the path forward—no matter how difficult—is always worth walking.