For Nathan McCallum, much of the workday happens on the road across Southwest Virginia.

As a project advisor for TRIO’s Upward Bound program, McCallum regularly travels to high schools across the region to meet with students and support them as they prepare for life after graduation. The work is rooted in relationships — helping students navigate the path to higher education and showing them that college is within reach.

Upward Bound is part of the federal TRIO Programs, a nationwide initiative that has helped students access higher education since the 1970s. The program supports high school students from underresourced backgrounds, offering academic guidance, college preparation, and hands-on experiences that help demystify the journey to college.

One of the program’s highlights is its summer residential experience at Virginia Tech — a project McCallum says the team is especially proud of.

During the summer program, students live for up to six weeks on the Blacksburg campus and experience college life firsthand. They navigate campus, attend classes, eat in dining halls, and stay in residence halls — all designed to help them envision themselves as future college students.

“It’s a wonderful opportunity for our students,” McCallum said. “They get to live like a college student and really see what that experience is like.”

Programs like this are especially impactful because of their accessibility. Unlike many early college bridge programs, TRIO Upward Bound is completely free for participants. Students even receive a stipend, removing financial barriers that might otherwise prevent them from taking part.

McCallum’s path to TRIO grew out of his earlier career in education. As a teacher, he led a college and career preparation elective, a subject that quickly became the part of teaching he felt most passionate about.

“When I saw an opportunity to help students access higher education outside the classroom, it really caught my attention,” he said. “That led me to change careers and enter the world of TRIO Programs.”

Now, he spends his time helping students across Southwest Virginia imagine and prepare for futures that include college.

Outside of work, McCallum enjoys staying active in the same Appalachian landscape that many of the students he serves call home. An avid outdoor enthusiast, he spends his free time climbing and exploring the mountains.

It’s a fitting complement to work that helps students climb toward opportunities they may once have thought were out of reach.

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