December 19
Jackie Gomez is studying to become a teacher, but school wasn’t always easy. As a child of Guatemalan immigrants, she didn’t have any teachers who looked like her, and with Spanish as her first language, she struggled to learn in English-speaking classrooms, remaining in an ESL program until the seventh grade.
“I remember teachers being impatient with me because I couldn’t say certain things or I couldn't understand certain phrases,” said Gomez.
Her parents always taught her to value education, but she struggled through elementary and middle school. She was worried about how she would manage high school.
That’s where Upward Bound (UB) came in, one of four federally-funded TRIO programs offered at North Shore Community College. Enrolling low-income students and those whose parents have not received a degree from a four-year college, UB prepares students to enter—and succeed in—college.
UB gave Gomez the support she needed, and now she’s paying it forward.
A Support Network that Starts Before High School
Gomez first learned about UB while attending Breed Middle School in Lynn. Two aspects of the UB TRIO program immediately caught her interest: academic support and the six-week Summer Academy. Her family was on a tight budget, but enrolling in UB gave her extra help and enrichment without paying a dime.
At UB, she found teachers who cared about their students and created engaging, thoughtful lessons.
“That’s the impact that Upward Bound has: they choose instructors that connect with the kids,” said Gomez.
One of her most memorable experiences was an English class that used hip hop music as a lens to talk about literature and culture. The course challenged her to think about the stereotypes people have about Lynn, and years later, the class has stuck with her.
“Many students think, ‘They say I’m not going to make it, so I’m not going to make it.’ Programs like UB are designed to break stereotypes and improve communities that have been condemned to not succeed,” she said.
From Michelle Obama’s book tour to the museums of New York City, field trips broadened her horizons. Gomez became more independent and confident, and she found a support network that has helped her beyond high school.
“Throughout my four years at UB, I received the tutoring that I needed. With the help of UB, it's a huge part of why I was able to graduate with a 3.7 GPA in high school,” said Gomez. “Upward Bound is more than just a program. It's a place where you can be comfortable enough to say, ‘Hey, I need help past just academics.’”
Inspired to Help Others
After high school, Gomez worked as a home health aide, and when she enrolled at the University of Massachusetts Boston, she intended to earn her degree in biology. But three years into college, UB inspired her to switch majors—and career trajectories.
While in college, she began working summers as a learning leader at UB, eventually working up to becoming program secretary for TRIO Talent Search and UB. Working with students sparked something in her—she felt proud, and she felt fulfilled.
She became a substitute teacher at Lynn Public Schools, primarily working in elementary and middle schools. Being a teacher opened her eyes to the joys of working with bilingual students and giving them the academic support they need.
“It felt like it was meant for me. I ended up switching my major, and I don't regret that decision,” she said.
Gomez is set to graduate with her bachelor’s in early childhood education in December 2025, and she aims to work in a dual language classroom like the one in which she completed her student teaching. and she will soon take over the dual language kindergarten class where she completed her student teaching.
In this dual language program in Lynn, younger children learn mostly in Spanish, and as they grow older, they receive more and more English instruction.
“At the end of the day, scientifically, helping a student develop their first language first helps them a lot,” said Gomez. "I want to say to them, ‘I want you to know that I'm here for you, and I'm here to speak the language that you understand and to teach a new language that you can benefit from.’”
Gomez’s story shows the wide impact of programs like UB. One student’s success has turned into a ripple effect that will influence the lives of many.
As Gomez put it, “Having this program at North Shore Community College is beneficial to the whole community—when we serve these high school students, we are improving our community.”
To learn more about Upward Bound, click here.