
Lydia Bates
Assistant Director
Lydia C. Bates is a Fort Wayne native and graduate of Northrop High School. She attended Indiana University in Bloomington for three years, later finishing up her Associate and Bachelor degrees at IPFW. Ms. Bates has two children, and three grandchildren. She joined the IPFW Upward Bound family in 2004, as the Academic Coordinator and was promoted to Assistant Director in 2008. When asked why she loves Upward Bound so much, she replies: “I love working with people, especially teenagers and young adults, to help them to realize their academic goals in life. I consider education so important! My favorite proverb is ‘knowledge is better than riches’. I believe that with knowledge you have the basic foundation and tools to succeed in life, give back to your community, and ultimately change the world.”
