Alumni Spotlight- Miranda Perez, Princeton University
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 volleyball, tutoring and playing piano for the high school worship team at my church. I had the exciting opportunity to start a mentorship program for eighth grade girls at my school, which took up a lot of my senior year.How did you hear about A Bridge for Kids?My HS counselor told me about it when ABFK put on an essay contest. I submitted one and didn't win, but they decided to keep my profile and search for a sponsor for me.How did it feel when you were told that you were sponsored?I was shocked and humbled. It's incredible that someone I had never met would provide and entrust me with that much money ($1000 was certainly a lot to me at the time). Not only that but they also made an effort to foster a relationship with me, which was very special.Did you have a good relationship with your sponsor? If so, how would you describe it?Yes, we kept in contact and met for lunch a couple times. I also met her husband as well and they were just the sweetest couple.Were there things your sponsorship allowed you to do with your life that you otherwise would not have been able to do?It definitely took a lot of the stress out of my senior year. Finishing high school has a lot of hidden costs, between college apps, driving and gearing up for moving. I was also able to buy a quality laptop that I have put to good use in college. That was a big purchase which I probably wouldn't have been able to make otherwise.What school do you attend?I'm entering my second year at Princeton University, majoring in architecture with a minor in computer science (God willing, I haven't officially declared yet). I applied through Questbridge.Have you taken advantage of any other form of aid that ABFK offers like tutoring, SAT prep or college tours? If yes, how have those things helped you? Yes, I went on the east coast college trip (I think it was the first year they did it??) Which was very helpful and informative (and super fun). We hit a lot of ivy leagues, which definitely informed my college decision. Without that I would have definitely gone in totally blind to both the application and admissions process, since I had no plans of staying in state for college.Is there anything else you would like to say about your experience with ABFK or any ideas of how to make it better?Only that I'm incredibly grateful for the Nance's hard work and genuine hearts, keep doing what you're doing!