Familia+2008+-2009

= = Puente Familia 2008 - 2009

HomeStrength of Family  By: Cherise La Riva   In a society where family, honor, and respect seem to have lost the value they once had, the Puente Program strives to keep those values at the forefront of local colleges. The Puente Program is a multi-cultural program whose focus is on creating a familial environment of support, inspiration and motivation.  After speaking with a few of the students, you get the feeling that this is not just a school program; many of the program’s members see Puente as a family, their “Familia." When asked how Puente has changed her outlook on college, Darleen responded, “Puente changed my outlook on the college experience, it gave me hope and inspiration and the motivation I never got from anyone else in my life. Without Puente I really would [have] been lost . . .”, showing that this is not just your normal school club, this program and it’s members strive for success.

Puente means “bridge” in Spanish, a bridge to a successfully college career and future. The theme in all responses during my interviews with the Puente Members was clear, they all focused on success, whether short term or long term, each and every one of them had a clear goal set for success in life. Whether you ask Martha, whose long term goal is to become a Bilingual Kindergarten Teacher, or Xochilt whose short term goal is to utilize Puente for getting over her shyness and expanding her college network resources, they all realize that success and goals are the key to their future.

In recent years, Puente has reached outside of what has traditionally been a membership of Mexican American and Latino Students, showing that the BRIDGE goes beyond color and race. This variety also helps students as they continue to work with Latino and Chicano Literature and then continue this learning into the other cultures that are now pulled into the family.

Puente has shown that it can bridge any gap and successfully transition students into successfully and productive members of society. Strong family values seem to be lacking in today’s society, but the Puente Program seems to have an excellent recipe.

