Larissa Holland’s powerful op-ed (TRIO should not be on Trump’s chopping block, June 5) about the importance of Upward Bound (UB) in her life, and in the lives of so many talented young people in Maine, is a reminder of how much we all stand to lose from arbitrary, slash-and-burn cuts to successful federal programs.

Upward Bound and other federally funded TRIO programs in Maine provide access to higher education and a path to prosperity for low-income, first-generation students. As Ms. Holland notes, Upward Bound students are more than twice as likely to earn a bachelor’s degree as their low-income peers. But the Trump administration’s proposed FY 26 budget eliminates them as a “relic” of another time.

Unfortunately, poverty in this country is not a relic of another time. How to get to and through college, when our family is low-income and our parents have no experience with higher education: those challenges remain and are huge barriers that prevent too many smart, motivated young people from realizing their full potential.

Larissa Holland’s story is a powerful one. And as she is quick to admit, it is not unique. Her UB peers in Maine include teachers, social workers, health care professionals, business owners, lawyers and priests, a great many of them living in, contributing to and strengthening their Maine communities.

If we really want to make America great again, let’s continue to make smart investments in hard-working, talented young people who have the potential to lift themselves — and the generations that follow — out of poverty.

Helen Pelletier
Portland