Dalia is a Desert Mirage High School Puente graduate from the class of 2020. Read about her experience being a first-generation scholar and navigating her first year at Cal from the Coachella Valley.
This year has not been easy for students and families with distance learning and varying home environments. Thank you for sharing your story, Dalia. https://news.berkeley.edu/.../im-a-berkeleyan-dalia.../
Much thanks to Josefina Canchola, Associate Director of Partnerships, for making this opportunity happen for Puente! Through the Jackeline Cacho's show, we were able to reach over 1,100 people to share about Puente's work and successes. A special thank you to Julia Vergara, Cindy Quiralte, Jordana Henry, Marisol Aviña, and Dr. Francisco Rodríguez who provided insights to our program from their important connections to Puente.
This event was sponsored by Ali Sahabi and his company, Optimum Seismic, who generously provided us with a $5,000 dollar donation. We are very appreciative of Ali’s philanthropic donation which will go towards student scholarships.
See the recording here.
Puente Counselor Maricruz Meza from James Logan High School, Union City share her experience as a former Puentista and current Puente counselor.
_________________________________________________________________________
Being a Puentista at Tennyson High made me feel like I was part of a special group of students. It helped me have a special bond with the counselor and teacher, as well as helped me come out of my shell as a leader. I really admired seeing how the Puente students and staff worked together at Tennyson, siempre con el corazón, despite the obstacles of working at a high school that did not have many resources to offer its students (and staff). I didn't know what it meant to be a counselor, but I knew I wanted to follow the steps of my high school counselor, Ms. Rios, because she helped my siblings and me, especially during very difficult times in our lives. Becoming a Puente Counselor has definitely been rewarding. I love the bond I have with my students and seeing their accomplishments: personally, socially, professionally, etc. When I hear stories about students and their experience in Puente, I become nostalgic. I know they are very true, powerful and life changing because I was in their shoes. One aspect that I think is truly special about Puente at Logan is our teamwork: staff teamwork as well as the Puente Club Officers' teamwork. I feel that they are able to see how the Puente staff work together, get along well, and really care about the students. In turn, they too work well together, get along well and if they don't know each other (yet) they find ways to learn about one another and feel connected. Seeing the students' leadership, overcoming obstacles within the club and picking themselves up is amazing. During this pandemic, they have really stepped up as leaders to find ways to continue to bond, contribute to the community and continue to support Puente overall (virtually). Because these are a group of students we work much more closely with outside of the classroom, it is always difficult to see them go, but so heartwarming to see them come back to visit and tell us about their college experiences. I would like to share some highlights of what Puente at JLHS is doing:
-9th grade orientation (September)
-Financial Aid presentation for seniors (late September)
-Virtual college tours/presentations for students in 9-11th grade
-Weekly Puente Seminar course for seniors -Bi-monthly Puente Club meetings with guest speakers including Puente Alumni
