A Bridge for Kids made a trip to Gompers Preparatory Academy this week to award $1,000 sponsorships to 5 deserving students. These teens had been previously interviewed by A Bridge for Kids volunteers and identified as potential candidates for a sponsorship. After the interview, the students were then asked to write a personal statement (John Class of 2017) and that essay was shared with members of the community. Each of these students who were awarded sponsorships this week were picked out of the 100’s of personal statements received each year and matched with a sponsor who provides them with financial support to help them reach their dreams and with mentoring support to help guide them on their journey.
Each sponsored teen has specific financial needs depending on their individual talents and goals; and they use their sponsorship accordingly. The sponsorship could be used for something as simple as paying an application fee that helps a student apply and ultimately get into to their dream college, buying a pair of track shoes that allows an athlete to achieve their personal best, or purchasing art supplies that helps a low income artist build a portfolio that will strengthen their college application.
In addition to the financial support and mentorship that comes with being sponsored, each student is then eligible to participate in the other programs A Bridge for Kids offers including SAT Prep classes, tutoring, college tours and many more. All of these programs are offered free of charge and are supported through the generosity of our donors, our corporate sponsors and through both local and national grants.
In total we have awarded sponsorships to 25 students just this year and since inception have allocated close to $200,000 toward this program. If you would like to help make a young person’s dream become a reality through our sponsorship program or to just learn more about A Bridge for Kids please contact us directly at 858-812-3150.