The Yale Tale | A Modern-Day Fairy Tale
How a College Tour Planted the Seed for Two Yale Dreams
In 2019, when Mayerling stepped on Yale’s campus during a college tour with A Bridge for Kids (ABFK), she never imagined it would become her future. Like many first-generation, low-income students, she had assumed schools like Yale were financially out of reach. Places reserved for others. But that one tour changed everything.
Mayerling would go on to graduate from Yale with distinction. And now, years later, her younger sister, Valerie, has applied to Yale and been accepted herself - armed with her own sense of purpose, pride, and a story rooted in shared experience.
One Visit. One Shift. One Legacy.
For the students in our program, college tours are far more than just sightseeing trips. They are a catalyst. A glimpse into what’s possible. A spark.
When Mayerling toured East Coast colleges with ABFK, she was introduced to a world she didn’t know she belonged in, but soon realized she did. She saw students who looked like her, support systems for underrepresented minorities in STEM, and, most crucially, financial aid packages that made attending her dream school a real possibility.
That one trip didn't just change Mayerling's future. It inspired Valerie - an eighth grader at the time. Watching Mayerling succeed gave her a roadmap, a vision, and a dream of her own. Years later, Valerie stood on Yale’s campus during her own ABFK tour, and instantly knew: This is where I want to be.
A Ripple Effect That Breaks Cycles
College tours open doors. They break barriers. They show our students that their biggest dreams aren’t only possible, but they’re within reach. For families like Mayerling and Valerie’s, access to elite institutions isn’t just about education; it’s about disrupting generational cycles of poverty and building a new legacy.
The academic success of one student becomes a waterfall of impact, influencing siblings, families, and entire communities.
Mayerling, now preparing for medical school, stood proudly beside her sister during our DreamMakers Gala and reflected on how one college tour planted the seed for it all. “Together,” she said, “we hope that in a few years, we’ll have two Yale graduates in our family.” This spring, with Valerie's acceptance into Yale, that dream is one large step closer to becoming a reality.
From a Seed to a Story of Success
At A Bridge for Kids, we know that investing in just one student can change the course of an entire family. Our college tours are where that transformation often begins. Where students dare to believe that their dream school isn’t just a dream.
Thanks to the support of donors, sponsors, and volunteers, we continue to open minds, break barriers, and change lives.
And sometimes, it all starts with a simple walk across a campus.