Student Voices
Read our Student Voices here
Puente Cycle 2021-2022
What Puente Means to Me
Gabriela: Puente to me means guidance through college and learning about myself. Puente has been an amazing help through my first and second semesters of college. It has helped me discover character traits about myself that I never knew about. These traits guided me towards my career choice and what major would be the best fit for me.
Cristian: To me, the Puente Program means community. It is a support system where the instructors are here to help guide us. It is also a place to meet and interact with people who come from similar backgrounds: people who want to be successful and break both societal and cultural norms.
Anahi: Puente is a program where people like me, a first-generation college student, can be guided by others before me. It is a place to improve, find yourself, learn about yourself, and collaborate with others. It is a place where you can develop family with classmates. It is a place to explore and contribute—a place to help you when you feel stuck or uncertain.
Lyana: Puente helps students discover their passion for themselves and allows them to be creative. Puente is a safe space where we are able to work together and create a safe and positive environment: where one tries their best to be understanding and isn't afraid to be vulnerable.
Evelyn: Puente is an opportunity to collaborate with other like-minded people who are seeking support in transitioning from high school to college. In Puente, we are surrounded by people that want to achieve the same things as us: success. Puente in Spanish is bridge, and I think that this program clearly depicts this: a bridge that has been placed and has made me more knowledgeable about what I want to do with my life while also managing how to do schoolwork. Puente helps in the long run, but also in the moment—like choosing classes, filling out your FAFSA, and applying for scholarships.
Alma: My mentor has been helping me a lot with my school life and personal life. Thanks to Puente, I developed new skills, such as communication and research. I developed new interests thanks to the platicas we have had and also the guidance that mentors, counselors, professors and tutors give us. Puente means resources.
Johana: Puente pushes you to give your best. Puente is a community that is large and diverse, yet one in which we all have something in common. Getting to know new people and seeing people with similar situations helps you to not feel alone. Puente represents who you are and represents your culture as well, since we are all proud of our roots.
Angelina: Puente is a community where all Latinx males and females have similarities. In Puente, we all help each other find our true culture. Puente provides great opportunities to help us with our learning of our culture and what it means. This program helps us grow and find the career we are looking for.
Julisa: My Puente experience has been a very warm and supportive one. There have been times where I became comfortable with not doing my best because of things I am going through, but Puente makes sure that I stay on top of everything by checking up on me. If I ever need the support, I know that it is there. It is just a matter of communicating my obstacles. The only thing that has made it even harder for me to succeed in school is trying to take my mental health more seriously. Part of it is because school is probably my number one stressor. Puente has made me realize it's just a part of the journey and that you are never alone.
Daniela: Puente is a supportive environment. In Puente, you get the help of Sam, our embedded tutor, who walks around with the desire to help; of Aleah, the embedded librarian, who has a joy that cannot be hidden by her facemask; of Liliana, in whose guidance class, I have been able to discover and explore my personalities, abilities and interests to be able to decide which major is the best that would fit me; and of Scott, who is so understanding and patient with me and has worked with me to raise my grade and has never given up on me. Finally, Rosario, my mentor, has always given me good advice and has been open in telling me about her experiences. She always listens to me and makes time to meet with me.
Yaya: Our mentors give so much advice & speak on their past experiences & relate to how we feel. Puente is a program that has us do group activities. This is the most I’ve ever opened up to a class or even had the opportunity to get in touch with myself. Even though it is tough to feel motivated and not exactly know what I’m capable of or good at, I want to keep trying.
Kasandra: Being in Puente has been one of the best choices I’ve made. As a first-generation college student, I didn’t know what to expect from college. When I was younger, I found it hard to make new friends or talk to someone new. In Puente, I have learned to talk to new people and work in teams. The Mentor platicas has given me a better understanding of college and university life, as well as the obstacles that we can face throughout our journey.
Natalie: By definition, Puentes are bridges, and when I hear the word, I think of a bridge that allows people (in this case, students) to cross over to the other side, to embark on a new path. Since a bridge is a simple and a stress-free way of crossing the other side, I'm sure the Puente program wants to make the transition into college life as smooth as possible for students because it can be nerve-wracking. Overall, Puente gives me confidence as a college student, who is slowly but steadily figuring things out with the help of good mentors and classmates.
Emmia: Being in Puente means being part of a community of students and teachers that want to see and help one another succeed. Our backgrounds and roots are what brought us together, but it's our dedication and wanting to succeed that keeps us together. Puente is making friends and making memories.
Enrique: For me, Puente means unity of diversity. Puente is Spanish for bridge which makes sense because this program helps unite us instead of divide us. I feel that I’m part of a family. Puente helps us define ourselves culturally and know more about ourselves. Puente makes us care about our Latino culture.
Lezli: Puente is where I have found a support system that I can rely on, especially as a first-generation college student. Throughout the time I have been in the program, I have encountered countless opportunities for growth and experiences. Puente to me means opportunities.
Diego: Puente is a nice transition to college. The openness and welcome feeling you get is always refreshing, especially during this time we're living in. It is a nice thing to lean back on support that is readily available and has always served me well and had my best interest in mind. I also like the teachers and counselor and support and welcomeness, which make me feel secure in this program.
Pedro: The main reason why I joined Puente was because I had no idea what career I wanted to pursue coming into my first semester of college. I was concerned because it seemed as if everyone around me had their careers set and decided. Puente has guided me to learn more about my traits and my values and how that would translate into finding a career that fits me. Puente has put me in a position where I feel more confidence in myself at the collegiate level.
Karen: Puente means family because you spend a lot of time with your classmates inside and outside of the classroom. This program has truly made my college journey easier. Another thing I really like about the program is that it helps you to connect to your background, and it teaches you to appreciate your culture. Puente has helped me grow and has given me support.
Enya: Being in Puente means a lot to me because it’s not a group of people, but more of a family. Puente has taught me so much and still is about how it takes hard work to achieve your goals and that there are people to help you with anything.
Kerenia: What Puente means to me is family, caring about others, sharing with each other without feeling judged, and knowing we can count on each other. Puente is somewhere you get to collab with your peers, so it can help you get out of your comfort zone.
Itzayana: Puente is community. It’s not feeling alone while navigating the confusing process of what college is as a first-generation student. It is having that confidence to ask your teachers and counselors for help because you are used to seeing them.
Arlene: Many college students may ask, “What is Puente?” or “why is there a program named Puente?” They may be clueless as to what Puente is, but for me Puente is a place of belonging, security, a judgement-free zone, and, most importantly, a family. Puente has made me realize that I’m not the only one alone in this big world, struggling to find a major that best interests me. Puente has taught me that help is always there when needed.
Marcey: Puente means opportunity, a chance, or gateway to a greater path. Puente are the arrows pointing you in the right direction on a road of limitless possibility. Puente is the bridge from where you are to where you dream to be. Puente serves as a lantern in the tunnel of confusion of college. Puente is a community-driven group of individuals who strive for the best of themselves and others. Regardless of background or personal challenges, Puente is there to provide perseverance through the struggle.