06 Feb 2017

Scholarship funds pave Corina’s way through college: “Watch me.”

Corina Rodriguez had her plan: finish high school, enroll in a four-year university, graduate with a bachelor’s degree, embark on a career in health care administration and start a family.

But life had other plans. Rodriguez became pregnant in her senior year at Pescadero High. A few months later, she was a new mother and a wife. Rather than enroll at a four-year university, she went to three different community colleges over the next three years. She did this while raising an infant and working full-time to pay her school, rent, food and gas.

“We obviously all have suffered. It’s very hard,” says Rodriguez, now 21.

She thought about dropping out more than once. But her husband and parents pushed her to stay in school. Her parents, both Mexican immigrants, never went to college but made sure that all their children would. “Ever since I can remember, my parents drilled it into me: you’re going to go to college. You’re going to get a bachelor’s degree,” recalls Rodriguez.

Because of the support of her family and her own will to succeed, a bachelor’s degree is within reach for Rodriguez now. In late January, Rodriguez enrolled at California State University, Monterey Bay. She has new professors, new classmates, and a new major in Collaborative Health and Human Services with a concentration in Public Administration.

She wouldn’t have been able to accomplish it—any of it—without her scholarships from Puente, generous financial support from anonymous local donors, and regular grants from the Consulate General of Mexico in San Francisco.

This year, Puente received a record $22,000 grant through the Institute for Mexicans Abroad, a Mexican government program that supports continuing education for Mexicans abroad and their descendants. (The Spanish-language name is El Instituto de los Mexicanos en el Exterior, or IME.) The partnership benefits both adult learners and college-age students. The adult learners earn a stipend for near-perfect class attendance in Puente’s adult education programs, which include ESL.

To be considered for an IME grant, college students must have graduated from Pescadero High, must show financial need, have a solid GPA, and must be enrolled in college at least part-time. They must also submit a statement about their involvement and leadership in their community or school. Students need to provide proof of Mexican or Mexican-American descent, although the consulate has expressed some flexibility for other students who deserve the scholarship.

Eight impressive undergraduate students, including Rodriguez, earned IME scholarships this fall; Rodriguez has received this scholarship every year since graduation. When she enrolled at CSU Monterey Bay, she was also shocked to receive a $5,000 gift from an anonymous local donor to help her pay for it.

In recent years, Puente has heard from donors who want to help local students with scholarship funding. In response, Puente has compiled a series of student profiles that help donors get to know the extraordinary youth in their midst, including their career aspirations, their paths to college, and the often-immense challenges they have already overcome.

“There’s something to be said about truly believing in our students’ ability to succeed. When you literally put your money where your mouth is, you’re showing these students you’re willing to make an investment in their future,” says Lizeth Hernandez, Education Director for Puente.

Puente has been committed to giving graduating seniors a financial springboard to college through its Youth Bridges Award, an internal scholarship program that rewards local students who have gone through Puente’s Youth Leadership and Employment Program.

When students graduate, these and other scholarships go a long way toward making college affordable for students whose families cannot afford to support them at all. In fact, the financial margins are so tight for some students that extra money for an on-campus parking permit, or a $300 textbook, can mean the difference between staying in school and dropping out, says Hernandez.

“As sad as it is, money really does make a difference in terms of access… And we’re going to do everything we can in terms of providing access,” she says.

Despite all the help she’s received, Rodriguez fears she’ll need to go into debt next semester to pay her college fees. “It’s beginning to get hard,” she says.

Rodriguez works long hours three days a week as a Community Resource Navigator at Puente, helping locals get signed up for health care coverage, food stamps and other essential services. (She is leaving Puente to commit herself to the heavy workload at school).

The other two days, she drives 150 miles roundtrip to CSU Monterey Bay. Her son is three years old now. Her schedule is grueling, but she loves her new school and she knows that one day, her son will understand why she worked so hard to get her education. “I want to show the world and my son that we can do it,” she says.

“I think I can be someone,” said Rodriguez in 2013, when we interviewed her about her future. Her life nearly took another detour in community college, when she thought she should give up on a bachelor’s degree and pursue a certificate in radiology so she could finish her studies and go start earning an income.

When she told Kerry Lobel about her decision, Puente’s then-Executive Director surprised her. “She said, that’s awesome—but knowing you, that’s not where your education is going to stop.” Lobel has known Rodriguez since she was a girl. She felt the young woman would never settle for anything short of her real goals. “I feel like Kerry knows me more than I know myself, sometimes,” laughs Rodriguez.

Lately, though, she finds herself forming a brand-new goal: a future master’s degree. For someone whose life already looks different than expected, the notion of going beyond the expected has strong appeal.

“A master’s is definitely now in my brain, and it won’t be going away,” she says. “I like being the kind of person who, when someone says you can’t do that – I say: Oh, yeah? Watch me. I can.”

Puente is seeking support for its Youth Bridges Program — every dollar goes to provide scholarships to graduating Pescadero High School students that have worked at Puente. Make your contribution here.

17 Jan 2017

“These kids are our country.” Local Dreamers fear losses under Trump


What is freedom? To Bernardo Pereira, it’s the new way the world looks at him as a college student with legal documents, including a driver’s license. To Lorena Calvillo, it’s her future career as a civil engineer, made possible by legal documents that give her the right to work – and her college tuition to boot.

Pereira and Calvillo are “Dreamers,” first-generation students whose parents brought them over from Mexico as infants. Growing up in Pescadero, they knew they were different from some of their other young friends. No matter how hard they worked in school or how powerful their aspirations, the prospect of normalcy – a legal job with benefits, a legal driver’s license, even a legally purchased home someday – would elude them forever.

That changed when DACA came along. President Obama’s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program offered temporary work permits and IDs to 728,000 young people who happened to be born in other countries, but were in every other way indistinguishable from other Americans. Puente has processed up to 29 DACA permits for local youth since 2012 and renewed most of them, some for a third term. Most of the youth cohort are in college now, on their way to fulfilling the kinds of dreams that any U.S. teenager aspires to.

“It’s been really helpful to have DACA,” says Pereira. “The ID means nothing to me personally – I already know who I am – but to the world it means everything. I’m identified as someone.” Pereira, whose name was changed for this story, is a 22-year-old college student studying art and business. He was never going to enroll in college without his DACA permit.

Now on the eve of the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump, DACA is facing a likely repeal. Trump himself has sent mixed messages about DACA, praising Dreamers in a recent interview while vowing to cancel all of President Obama’s executive actions, including those that would protect them and their families from deportation.

The uncertainty is the worst part, says Puente Executive Director Rita Mancera. “Young people want to know, are their employers poised to fire them right away? I honestly tell them I don’t know – but Puente will find ways to support them regardless. They can count on us.”

It will become clear just how much their lives will be upended in the months ahead. Puente has already renewed as many DACA permits as possible, and is case-managing every youth. “We have told them: if you get a letter or other information, bring it to us and we’ll figure it out together,” adds Mancera.

Puente has spent considerable staff time and resources obtaining Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) agency recognition, which makes it possible to assist participants with immigration needs. Three Puente staff members and one volunteer have completed the training and received certification to file legal papers on behalf of clients who need visas, green card renewals, and DACA permits.

Lorena Calvillo applied for DACA in high school, just before enrolling in classes at San Francisco State University in fall 2013. Her permit expires in October 2018, seven months short of her expected graduation date.

“I am worried. I try not to think about it – just see what happens. If I didn’t have DACA, I don’t know what I would do. I would definitely not be able to work,” says Calvillo, who is working toward a BS in civil engineering with a concentration in construction management. It’s not a field a lot of women go into, but Calvillo has always been determined. She recently flew to Philadelphia to attend the largest women’s conference for engineers in the country.

Having a DACA permit made it possible for Calvillo to apply for financial aid though the California Dream Act, and she lives near campus thanks to a special financial gift Puente helped arrange. Losing her DACA permit would mean losing her financial aid – and her job as a restaurant hostess. That job is important to her whole family, because it helps her parents pay their bills.

But even without DACA, Calvillo would find a way to pay for it all. She hopes to find work with a company that would sponsor her on the path to citizenship, and is already applying for an internship with a top company in San Francisco.

“I think it’s a bit unfair,” she says. “The fact that here aren’t options for people like me who want to work – it’s like, ‘Okay, you’ve been here for all these years, but now were going to shut you guys out.’”

It has become clear, moving forward, that many DACA youth will need more support from Puente because they won’t have the ability to earn that extra cash.

“There are going to be some people who are going to retreat into themselves. But others have already developed a resilience. They have been a part of the world out there, and have been just like other people,” says Mancera.

They’ve earned respect and independence. You can take away a document, but DACA has already transformed these youths into fighters who know what they deserve: freedom.

I think people like Lorena are going to become advocates for other Dreamers,” says Mancera. “These kids are our country.”

To support Puente’s efforts on behalf of DACA youth, click here.

03 Jan 2017

The unspoken challenges of first-generation students in college

For most students, the biggest hurdle to obtaining a degree from a 4-year college is admission itself, “will I get in to the school of my choice?” The second challenge for students then becomes, “can I afford college?” All these challenges are hurdles that are relatable. We find ourselves reflecting back to our own experiences with college admissions and affordability. However, for Susana Lopez, a participant in the Puente youth leadership and employment program and a freshman at San Francisco State University, these were gateway concerns to a larger set of challenges.

As a first-generation student, Susana found herself navigating the San Francisco State University system with no family guidance. Her first semester at SF State felt overwhelming. Her family was unable to relate to the challenges of transitioning into college, and they were also unfamiliar with the demands of a university. For Susana, “It has always been a challenge to prove that going to a university is the best for me.”

Susana’s struggle is the unseen struggle many first-generation students face, the absence of empathy and understanding from parents about the difficulties college presents. Students best thrive when they have a support system that understands and identifies with the challenges they face. And while many do have a family support system, many first-generation students carve out their paths alone because they don’t have a model to follow. It’s only until they find peers like themselves or organizations like Puente that they begin to establish networks of support for their college life. The struggle to find someone who can support and guide you can be extremely difficult. Therefore, obtaining a 4-year degree to Susana means, “breaking boundaries in my own family.”

Besides not feeling understood by her family, Susana had the additional challenge of commuting to school on public transportation. Three times a week, Susana wakes up at 5am to catch the first bus out of Pescadero at 6am to arrive on time to her first class, which starts at 8am. That meant riding the bus for two-hours in the morning and one-hour in the evening. As if school itself wasn’t a challenge already, Susana dealt with the daunting task of organizing a well-planned bus route connecting in Redwood City to ensure prompt arrival at school. To add to the already mounting challenges, her financial aid was also removed near the end of the semester because her parents’ income. Susana had to pay back what was granted to her. This was the tipping point for Susana. Not only had her first semester been challenging in its transition, but also she faced hurdles many of her peers did not have, and this was just one more way she felt the system was pushing her out.

Puente’s Education Director, Lizeth Hernandez, recalls receiving an email from Susana stating she was dropping out, that “it was too much.” Hernandez called financial aid and demanded to know the reasons why financial aid was withdrawn and how this could be reversed. That same day Hernandez spoke with Susana and told her not to worry, “that this too was solvable.” The same week, Susana, with Hernandez by her side went to financial aid at SF State to address the matter once and for all. On that day, Susana realized that while the journey to college and the journey of college may not be easy, it was worth fighting for. For Susana a college degree means “not settling and having to rely on somebody to provide for [her].” A life lesson she’s learned at a young age. She will have to pay for it all with her own income and scholarships but she knows this is her dream and she will pursue it.

Today Susana awaits the start of her spring semester knowing that she will continue to face challenges, but that she is strong enough to overcome whatever comes her way. While her commute may stay long, her hope for a better future is stronger than the long-duration of her school route. And although she may no longer count on the school’s financial aid, she will not let her dream for a college-degree slip away.

This new year, make a resolution to support college students on the South Coast achieve their higher education dream. Contact Lizeth Hernandez, Education Director, to know the many different ways you can support college students.

 

“Los obstáculos de los estudiantes de primera generación”

Para mucho estudiantes, el obstáculo mas grande de sobrepasar para una educación universitaria es la admisión a una escuela, “¿seré admitido a la escuela de mi preferencia?” El segundo obstáculo para los estudiantes es “¿podré pagar mis gastos universitarios?” Todos estos obstáculos son situaciones con las cuales nos podemos relacionar. Nos encontramos reflexionando sobre nuestras propias experiencias con la admisión y el costo de la educación universitaria. Sin embargo para Susana López, una estudiante del programa de liderazgo juvenil y empleo de Puente, esto era el principio de obstáculos aún mas grandes.

 

Como estudiante de primera generación a la universidad, Susana se encontró navegando el sistema universitario de la universidad estatal de San Francisco sin guía familiar. Su primer semestre en la universidad fue abrumador, y su familia no estaba familiarizada con la responsabilidad que demanda una universidad. Para Susana, “siempre ha sido un reto demostrar que ir a la universidad es lo mejor para mi.”

 

El reto de Susana es el lucha invisible de muchos estudiantes universitarios quienes son primera generación: la falta de empatía y entendimiento por el lado de los padres sobre las dificultades que presenta la universidad. Los estudiantes sobre salen en el colegio cuando tienen un sistema de apoyo que los entiende y se identifiquen con ellos. Y aunque muchos estudiantes tienen apoyo de sus families, para un gran número de estudiantes quienes son los primeros en ir a la universidad, ellos tienen que crear su propio camino ya que muchas veces no tienen un modelo a seguir. Es hasta que ellos encuentran otro compañeros con experiencias similares que comienzan a establecer una red de apoyo. El reto de encontrar apoyo y guía puede ser muy difícil. Entonces para Susana obtener un titulo universitario es “romper barreras en su propia familia.”

 

Aparte de no encontrar apoyo académico con su familia, Susana también tiene el obstáculo adicional de transportarse a la universidad. Tres veces a la semana Susana se despierta a las 5 de la mañana para agarrar el primer autobús de pescadero a San Francisco para llegar a su clase a las 8:00 am. Viaja dos horas por la mañana y una en la tarde. Como si la universidad no tuviera sus propios obstáculos, Susana tiene que calcular una ruta exacta conectando en Redwood City para atender sus clases. Como si eso no fuera suficiente, el apoyo financiero que se le fue dado, fue removido por la universidad. Esto fue la gota que derramo a Susana. No solamente fue su primer semestre dificultoso en su transición, pero también estuvo lleno de retos que otros estudiantes no tienen. Para ella esta era otra manera en cual el sistema la estaba sacando.

 

La directora de educación, Lizeth Hernandez, recuerda recibir el correo electrónico de Susana anunciando que dejaría la escuela, “era demasiado.” Hernandez, llamó a la oficina de ayuda financiera para demandar porque se le había removido el apoyo y buscar como resolver la situación. Ese mismo día Hernandez habló con Susana y le dijo “esto también tiene una solución.” El lunes siguiente, Susana con la directora de educación fueron a la universidad para aclarar el problema financiero de una vez por todas. Ese día, Susana descubrió que el camino a terminar la universidad no sería fácil, pero que era una batalla que valía la pena. Obtener su diploma significa “no tener que conformarme o depender de otra persona.” Una lección que aprendió a edad temprana.

Hoy Susana espera el comienzo de su segundo semestre sabiendo que tendrá otros retos, pero que ella es lo suficientemente inteligente y fuerte para sobrepasarlos. Y mientras su viaje a la universidad sigue siendo largo, su esperanza para un futuro mejor es aún mas poderosa que su larga trayectoria a terminar la escuela.

Este año, que uno de tus propósitos sea apoyar a estudiantes de colegio. Comunícate con Lizeth Hernandez, Directora de Educación, para saber como puedes apoyar a estudiantes de colegio de la Coast Sur.