About Us

Our Compass  |  Our Story  |  Staff and Board  |  Partners and Supporters

Upward Scholars, then Sequoia Adult School Scholars or SASS, was founded in 2009 by Sequoia District Adult School staff and volunteers committed to enabling English as a Second Language adult school students to continue their education at community college. 

The impetus for the organization came from our founder, Elizabeth Weal, a longtime ESL teacher at Sequoia Adult School. During her tenure, she observed that upon graduating from an adult school, many students languished in low-paying jobs rather than taking advantage of the advanced ESL and other class offerings available at nearby Cañada College.   

Upward Scholars provided initial support in the fall of 2010 to two ESL students transitioning from Sequoia District Adult School to Cañada College. Thanks to initial partnerships with Sequoia District Adult School and Cañada College and the work of an active and committed board of directors, Upward Scholars increased the breadth and depth of its support over time. 

In October 2018, Dr. Linda Prieto became the first executive director of Upward Scholars after our founder. Under Dr. Prieto’s leadership, Upward Scholars expanded its service area in 2019 from one adult school and one community college to all seven adult schools in San Mateo County and the three community colleges in the San Mateo County Community College District. Later, in 2022, Upward Scholars was ready to bridge the Bay and partnered with the Northern Alameda Adult Education Consortium, effectively expanding our support services to adult immigrants in the four Peralta Community College District campuses.

While the majority of our students are still Sequoia District Adult School alumni and attend Cañada College, we support alumni from many adult schools across San Mateo and northern Alameda counties who enroll at Cañada College, Skyline College, College of San Mateo, Berkeley City College, Laney College, Merritt College, and College of Alameda.