Speakers: Jorge Ramirez. Jacqui Escatel. Elizabeth Luna (Lizzy). Jesus Picos
Meet the amazing scholars that have grown and thrived with Peninsula Bridge from Elementary to College graduation.
Jorge Ramirez: Hi, my name is Jorge Ramirez. I just graduated from Denison University with a degree in Mathematics and a degree in Spanish. And in July I will be working full time as a Financial Analyst at FICO.
Elizabeth Luna (Lizzy): My name is Elizabeth Luna. Or I just go by Lizzy. I am now a San Francisco State University alumni and I majored in Sociology, minored in International Business.
Jacqui Escatel: My name is Jacqueline Escatel, and I just graduated from Washington University in St Louis with a major in Psychological and Brain Sciences and on the pre-med track.
Jesus Picos: Hi, my name is Jesus Picos and I went to UC Santa Cruz, studying Art and Design, Games and Playable Media. After graduation, I plan to work with GoFundMe as a back-end software engineer.
What does being a first-generation college graduate mean to you?
Jorge Ramirez: What does being a college graduate mean to me? Well, it's a big accomplishment, and now I can officially say that I'm the first of my family to graduate from college. And so now I basically just have to take what I've learned from that accomplishment and apply it to my next chapter.
Elizabeth Luna (Lizzy): Being a college graduate means the absolute world to me. Just given my background as a first gen, a Latinx transfer student and oldest daughter coming from a low income background. It definitely means being the first in my family to achieve this sort of new milestone and setting the foundation for many more future generations to come.
Jacqui Escatel: Being a college graduate, well, first generation college graduate to me, means opening doors and opportunities that were not available to my parents or the rest of my family and getting the chance to give back to my community, with those opportunities that are available to me now.
Jesus Picos: To me, being a college graduate means that I have the skills and education to pursue my interest professionally, all while making my parents proud as the first generation graduate.
What have you gained from your Peninsula Bridge experience?
Elizabeth Luna (Lizzy): Peninsula Bridge has helped guide me through such crucial transitional periods in my life, from high school to community college, from community college to a four year university, and now currently through my transition from university into the real career world. And I'm so thankful to have such a great network to rely on.
Jesus Picos: Peninsula Bridge has given me so many educational, professional and networking opportunities that have changed my life radically. I honestly don't believe that I would be in college at this point if it wasn't for Peninsula Bridge.
Jacqui Escatel: I want to thank Peninsula Bridge for supporting me for the past 11 years, and that support includes educational support, professional support and even emotional support.
Jorge Ramirez: One thing I'll say is that I wouldn't have been able to do all of this without Peninsula Bridge. I've gained so much from this program, and so I hope that I can stay involved and help contribute to its continued success, even though I'm graduating.
