High school students Donovan Wood and Peter Houser enjoyed just about every part of a two-week immersive summer program at the University of Alaska Fairbanks - except for one buzzing annoyance.

More on that at the end.

The Upward Bound program, "Your Future Role in Alaska," offered a variety of learning experiences, exploration and community service.

Housed on campus, a group of 14 students from across the state were divided into two groups of seven. The schedule varied day to day June 17 through July 1, a mix of lectures, workshops, hands-on activities and a day of service at a local food pantry.

The workshops were designed to help them explore career options and build life skills.

Wood, 17, did his freshman year at Wrangell High School and then transferred to Mt. Edgecumbe, where he will begin his senior year later this month. He participated in Upward Bound through the T3 Alaska program (Teaching Through Technology).

When he initially applied, he wasn't sure which career field he might pursue after graduation.

After the program, he said, "now I have a better idea of my strengths, and my biggest strength is in IT (information technology)."

One of the computer-based activities he worked on was to take an online image, transfer and engrave it into a glass-like material, which was then framed in a wooden box. "I used the image from one of my favorite hobbies," a videogame logo, he said.

The volunteer time at the food pantry also had an impact: "It felt nice to do, like I was genuinely helping someone."

Houser, 15, will begin his sophomore year at Wrangell High School this fall. There were a variety of Upward Bound summer options he had the opportunity to apply for, but he chose the Fairbanks program for the chance to "go somewhere else."

His experience was more science-oriented. He enjoyed the UAF Museum of the North, especially the display of Blue Babe, a 36,000-year-old mummified Alaska steppe bison, which had been preserved in the Interior permafrost since the Ice Age. Gold miners discovered the specimen in 1979 and donated it to the museum.

There were also lectures and displays related to NASA and satellites, an opportunity to build a radio, and a visit to an immense welding shop.

His favorite thing was an experiment in the chemistry lab to create intense heat to aid in underwater welding. He is excited to continue his interest in welding during shop class this school year.

The federally funded program helps students explore the options of college degrees, occupational and certificate programs that focus on "high-demand fields such as health care, construction, information technology and more."

Upward Bound has operated out of UAF since 1967.

Both Donovan and Houser agreed the program was beneficial - and also fun. "I would definitely encourage students to go, because you'll do more cool stuff than you can begin to think about," said Houser.

In addition to the classes, labs and field trips, there were evening group activities, especially time at the gym. There was a range of activities including basketball, volleyball, bowling, rock climbing and esports. Wood enjoyed having a variety of exercise machines to use, and Houser said, "I played a lot of pool."

Wood discovered the benefits of balancing school work with social activities. "The most important thing I realized, even more than a career, was how important it is to be with other people. The exercise, getting in your steps - doing those things with other people was really nice."

When asked if there was anything he would have eliminated from the summer experience in Fairbanks, he had a quick response: "Mosquitos!"