Christopher Santiago: This is Who I Am I come from a pretty big family. Seven kids and a single mother. We are a big family and I come in ranking number 5, born fifth. My mom, due to health issues, is limited to certain jobs, so making money can be difficult. That’s the problem. I like to learn, explore, and better myself in allways possible. As of this year, I’ll be 15. I'm a teenager and I'm not supposed to have my life figured out,but I want to, I want to be ready. “Educate yourselves”, my mother always tells us, and “Tomen todas las … [Read more...]

Eight years ago I was forced to restart my life. I was required to leave Mexico and start a new life with my family in the United States. With our entire family not knowing the smallest amount of English, it was the struggle to fulfill a daily life in the United States. My brothers and I were enrolled into Elementary as soon as possible, which was a quick transition for the start of our new education. My youngest brother Gustavo entered 1st grade, my second youngest brother entered 2nd grade and I entered 4th grade. The three of us did not know … [Read more...]

Miranda, Escondido Charter HS- Princeton University Class of 2019   Tell me a little bit about yourself?  What was your life like growing up?  I grew up in a Christian household and had a great family, and my sister (2 years older) and I went to Escondido Charter High School, which was a great fit for us. Our family has struggled financially for a while, which honestly I counted as a blessing because I learned to work hard and appreciate what I had. I applied that work ethic in school and did very well. Beyond academics, i also enjoyed … [Read more...]

Tell me a little bit about yourself?  What was your life like growing up? Growing up was hectic. I definitely experienced a lot more before the age of 18 than most kids do . I struggled with having a stable place to live due to being taken away from my parents because they were drug addicts/alcoholics.  I went through countless families, group homes, homeless shelters was even homeless for awhile. Life wasn't the easiest, but I found ways to just keep moving forward. How did you hear about A Bridge for Kids? A really amazing lady that … [Read more...]

Our mission at A Bridge for Kids is to build a bridge between teens who are in need of educational and financial assistance and those people that can provide these resources. In doing so, we strive to make lasting improvements in the lives of young people and the society in which they live. Through a rigorous interview process, we identify high achieving, low income teens, ages 13-19, who show exceptional academic, athletic, and/or artistic talents but are lacking the financial means to develop these talents to their full potential.  Teens … [Read more...]

Hardworking. That’s the first impression one would get upon meeting Jonathan. With his “Helix TENNIS” jacket on his back, book in his hand, and bright smile on his face, hardworking was the first impression that he made during his interview with A Bridge for Kids. Jonathan is an upcoming senior at Helix Charter High School in La Mesa. Passionate, dedicated, and diligent, Jonathan is looking at Stanford, Yale, and UCSD (just to name a few) with an intent on majoring in economics/business/finance. As mentioned in his essay, he came to America … [Read more...]

I was born in San Diego, California; I moved to Celaya in Guanajuato, Mexico after I was one month old, where I spent the next 14 years of my life. My family faced problems: socially and economically. My mother and father fought a lot and wanted to part ways. But, due to their economic statuses, they were unable to live separately from each other, creating deeper tensions in our home. After 14 years of marriage, my parents got divorced. Leaving me with the hardest decision I had to make. I had to choose between my mother, who suffered from … [Read more...]

Hello, my name is Angel, I am a 9th grader at Gompers Preparatory Academy and I was born in Tijuana, Mexico. My dad worked really hard, sometimes up to 12 hours a day during 6 years to bring us to the United States legally. I came to live in the United States in August of 2013, I did not know anyone and I did not know how to read, write, nor speak English. The first six months were really hard for me, they were stressful, tiring, hard, and exhausting, but I worked hard to be where I am at right now. I have had family problems, problems with … [Read more...]

I have always been taught by my parents to take every opportunity available to me, or, in some cases, make them available. I was taught to reach out and look for the blind spots; that there will always be something out there for my advantage. My name is Isabel and I am a senior at San Diego’s finest school, Gompers Preparatory Academy, and I have many things planned ahead of me. However, some of those plans will need to be put on hold for a while, or, worst case scenario, be forgotten. I say this because of my family’s financial situation. … [Read more...]