Many first-year Temple students look back on what helped them make it through their first early, uncertain weeks of college. For dozens of Owls, that foundation began long before move-in day, with Temple University’s B4USoar program. This mentorship experience continues to shape their confidence, connections and academic success months later. 

B4USoar is a program offered at Temple University that allows students from local Philadelphia high schools to attend college courses for free, providing them with an authentic campus experience, access to student and faculty mentorship and transferable college credits. The B4USoar program enables students to explore their options for higher education, contributing to their overall success.  

Hilda Bacon, the B4USoar Program director, has been involved in Temple’s B4USoar program since its beginning in 2019. 

In reflecting upon the beginning of B4USoar, Bacon stated, “We had one course, an entrepreneurship course, and we had 15 students… And now, just this semester, we have 78 students enrolled and eight classes.” 

B4USoar has greatly grown since its creation. In speaking on student success in the program, Bacon stated, “...that is the kick off to them soaring into their future, their college career or their chosen field.”  

Howard Salvator, a B4USoar alum and freshman at Temple University, was drawn to the program. 

“I was drawn to the B4USoar program because I liked the idea that you could get college credits just by being in the class and completing the assignments,” Salvator said. “When my high school guidance counselor brought this up to me, I was like, 'Why not?’” 

Mitchell Barton, another B4USoar alum and junior marketing major at Temple University, is now a B4U Soar student peer mentor. Barton’s interest in the position stemmed from his desire to give back.  

“It’s really cool that you can give back to the community, help other people and help other high school students,” he said.  

As a student studying at the School of Sport, Tourism, and Hospitality Management (STHM) at Temple University, Barton feels satisfaction in mentoring other students interested in STHM.  

Barton explained, “I think this program is important, for starters, because it gives high school students a taste of what college life is actually like, what a college course is actually like, without, you know, actually being in college. Because that's a difficult thing, being in college.”

From past participants to present ones, the impact of B4USoar on students is powerful.  

Hope Bruce-Rackley is a high school senior who is currently enrolled in the B4USoar program with plans to study engineering at Temple University. Bruce-Rackley's best friend was an alum of B4USoar with two years of classes completed within the program.  

“I thought it was really cool that she was able to get an exposure to the college life,” Bruce-Rackley said. “And I wanted to do it too because my plan after high school is to go to college, so I thought that it would be really fun to do [B4USoar] as well... It taught me how to balance my schedule well with doing my high school classes and my college classes.” 

The impact of B4USoar is visible not only in its steady growth but also in the confidence of the students who pass through the program. What begins as an opportunity to experience college coursework becomes, for many, a critical bridge between high school and higher education.  

Through mentorship, academic exposure and meaningful connections to Temple University, B4USoar equips students with the tools they need to navigate college life before it officially begins. From alumni now thriving on campus to current participants preparing their next steps, the program represents more than early college access, but rather a launch point for long-term success.