b'Puentes youth storms the world OUR IMPACT NUESTRO IMPACTOThere was a time when Mairol Hernandez thought college was for others and not herself. The 2021-2022education system in the United States was foreign to her family, and although they encouraged her to do her best in school, she was not fully aware of the different educational pathways after12 high school or even how to begin the process.Fast-forward a few years and Mairol is thriving as a college freshman, pursuing a degree inhigh school seniors Latino/Latina studies. It was the same with the SATI didnt know I could take the SAT, sheand IDEA program recalls. I thought it was only for the smart kids . Not only did Mairol take the SAT, she wasparticipants from the accepted into three colleges, and graduated high school with multiple scholarships. first cohort graduated from the program Mairols life changed in 2019 when she joined the first-ever cohort of Puentes IDEA (Individualestudiantes de ltimo Development: Economic and Academic) program, an ambitious and transformative three-yearao de secundaria y experience that supports incoming high school sophomores all the way to the cusp of adulthood.del primer cohorte de IDEA wraps students in a suite of supportive academic programs, life skills-building workshops,IDEA se graduaron and a rigorous check-in system. During the summers, IDEA youth pursue paid programming ordel programainternships (based on age eligibility) that relate directly to their blossoming professional areas of interest. IDEA also follows each cohort for six months after high school graduation. Currently,212IDEA has 23 active youth spanning three grade levels: 10th, 11th, and 12th. In June of 2022, IDEA graduated 12 seniors as part of its first graduating cohort. youth have participated since The result: teens with serious career development interests and real-world adult life-managementthe youth program skills. These Puente youth enter college with self-reliance and the ability to become strongbegan in 2008 advocates for themselves.jvenes que han More than anything, Mairol is amazed how much shes changed from an introverted child into aparticipado en el young adult who works with new people at her job and makes friends at school. A world shePrograma de Jvenes never knew was open to her has been unlocked, and she knows its just the beginning.desde que comenz en 200814'