A Bridge for Kids wants to recognize our amazing community of supporters for all that you do to help us make a positive impact in the lives of our teens. Below are a few personal messages of gratitude from ABFK teens and alumni. "A Bridge for Kids has provided me with so much more than "just" money...it gave me a mentor that cares and helps me. It has given me the confidence that everything is possible. And of course, it is helping me financially to get a step closer to college. I am thankful for all of the opportunities A Bridge for … [Read more...]
Alumni Spotlight: Tyler Leptich SDSU
Q: Can you tell us a little about your background growing up? A: I never had much of a conventional family life. My Mom and Dad were never married. After my sister was born two-and-a-half years after me, they split up. There was a custody battle when I was still really young, too young to understand what was going on. When I was 12, my Dad passed away from Lung Cancer. I had just finished elementary school and just started at The Preuss School. It was far away from where I had gone to school before and I didn't have any friends at first. I … [Read more...]
Alumni in the News: ABFK Alum Tyler Leptich Co-founder of Camp Kesem at SDSU
Tyler "Dibs" Leptich and chapter co-founder Olivia "Mango" Di Santo A Bridge for Kids alum and San Diego State University student Tyler Leptich (pictured above) is the co-founder of SDSU's first chapter of Camp Kesem, a nation-wide organization that provides free summer camp for kids who have been affected by cancer. The week-long program gives children ages 6-18 the opportunity to enjoy the magic and joy of summer camp while bonding with other kids who have been touched by cancer. Camp Kesem operates 116 university chapters across the … [Read more...]
Annual East Coast College Tour Has Students’ Sights on Success
School may still be out for many of our students, but summertime at A Bridge for Kids means college tour season is in session! We are excited to announce that a group of six students recently returned from a whirlwind five-day East Coast College Tour that gave them time to explore a variety of prestigious institutions including Princeton, NYU, UPenn, Harvard, Yale, Brown and MIT. Read on to see photos from the trip and to hear about the experience from the students themselves! As always, thank you to our generous supporters for allowing us to … [Read more...]
DreamMakers Set for Oct 5, 2019
Why Mentorship Matters
We’ve all had that one teacher, scout leader or a friendly neighbor who inspired us to achieve a goal or realize a dream. For Maya Angelou, it was Mrs. Flowers who insisted that she read every book in the school library. With Mrs. Flower's encouragement, Angelou discovered poetry in the musty aisles of a school library that was no larger than a telephone booth. At A Bridge for Kids, our mentors see the value in every student’s dreams. They believe that every student should have the opportunity to succeed no matter their household … [Read more...]
A Bridge for Kids Success Story- Brianna Diaz
A BETTER LIFE THROUGH SPONSORSHIP AND A UCLA EDUCATION “My childhood consisted of sleep deprivation, tiredness, hopelessness, house infestations, insecurities, crowded rooms, different schools, eviction after eviction, prayers, and an experience that would open my eyes to the world.” Brianna shared these words with A Bridge for Kids during her interview process in spring of 2014 when she was in the eleventh grade. Parental and economic stability was not a luxury that Brianna had, as her father was not in the picture, her stepfather met a … [Read more...]
3rd Annual East Coast Tour Highlights Opportunity
After two successful West Coast Campus Crawls in the Spring, eight high achieving, very excited teenagers met at the San Diego airport the morning of July 24th for a week long trip to visit Universities on the East Coast. These students were selected based on their desire to attend college in the Northeast along with their GPA and standardized test scores. One of the students was ranked #1 in their class at their respective high school, and the group as a whole had a collective GPA well over 4.00. The week started with a visit to the … [Read more...]
A Bridge for Kids Mourns Loss of Co-Founder
One beautiful morning in the spring of 2012, Tammy Nance and I met for a walk to talk about A Bridge For Kids. At that time, the organization was just forming and still waiting for its non-profit status. Tammy’s excitement and enthusiasm for the potential to change the lives of San Diego’s high achieving, low income teens, was palpable. The mission was clear, but the potential for the organization’s impact on San Diego was just in its infancy. It was clear that there was so much to be done and so many opportunities ahead. I was sold! I … [Read more...]
Local Foundations Help Support Growth in Programs
On behalf of all the volunteers, the Board of Directors, and many students we support at A Bridge for Kids, I want to personally thank the The Rodeki Foundation, The Water-Walking Foundation, The Southern California Youth Baseball Foundation, The Charles and Ruth Billingsley Foundation and Jay and Cathie Wegerzyn of La Jolla for their generous support of A Bridge for Kids. Over the past year these Foundations and individuals have contributed over $75,000 in grants which has allowed us to grow our existing programs that are aimed at giving a … [Read more...]
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