Alyssa Cantu is the Director of the Upward Bound programs at Lancaster and Southwest high schools. Originally from San Antonio, Texas, Alyssa earned her Bachelor of Science in Biology from Texas Tech University in 2017

Alyssa was a first-generation, low-income student who joined TRIO and Student Support Services during college. There, she served as a residential advisor, tutor, and academic coach for Upward Bound. Alyssa has experience in team management and communication and has held many supervisory roles, including her time managing a veterinarian’s office. In 2018, Alyssa joined ORS as a program coordinator before transitioning to an Assistant Director role for two Upward Bound programs. In 2023, she transitioned into her current role and built two new programs from the ground up.