Whenever someone asks me how my high school experience was, I tell them it was bittersweet. A person will go into high school and then come out totally different than who they were before. I believe this is very relevant to me. I didn’t have a great attitude when it came to pursuing a high education and I wasn’t very confident when it came to academics. However, all of that changed because of Puente, which is a college preparatory program that groups students together in an English class for four years. I feel like this program would be very beneficial for many high school students because of these reasons.

1. Puente Familia

When I first began in Puente, I was in a class of students I didn’t know. We were all strangers to each other, but that didn’t last long. We all grew very close to each other and because of this program I found lifelong friends. We became a close-knit family and helped each other through many struggles. For example, I went through some personal obstacles that I wouldn’t have been able to overcome if it wasn’t for my Puente brothers and sisters. We also had many adventures together. At the end of each year we had a field trip where we would go to the beach and celebrate another successful school year.

2. Teachers

My Puente teachers were more than just teachers to me. They were the Tias and Tios that I never had. They are part of the reason I am the way I am. I know that if I want to achieve a dream, there is nothing stopping me. When I have to do a task, I should always do my best. And they also taught me that higher education is the key to achieving my dreams.

3. Adventures

The beach field trip was just one of the many adventures I had in Puente. We also had volunteering opportunities. At the beginning of summer we would volunteer during the Tia Chuchas Festival of Words where we would help set up and were in charge of booths. This was one of my favorite events because this festival celebrated the arts in the Latino community. Another amazing adventure I had as a Puentista was my college trip. We raised our own money to visit three universities. This opportunity allowed me my first taste of freedom from home and it also gave me an idea of what colleges I might like to attend.

4. Skills

In Puente, I would write a lot of essays which helped me prepare for advanced classes as well as college classes. That way the workload did not seem as overwhelming when I got into college. We had many socratic seminars which allowed me to become more confident when it came to class discussions. We had our own government as well so we learned how to become leaders. I was Sergeant of Arms which meant I was responsible for looking at each student's grades to see if they needed tutoring. Overall, Puente made me into a more well-rounded student.