I created College Bridge not only because of what I’ve observed as an educator, consultant, and researcher, but also because of what I experienced as a student growing up in the U.S.

I, too, was one of those students who got derailed by the system that professed to support me. As a third grader I was thriving, reading at nearly tenth grade level. At 15, I dropped out of high school – I was on my own, without support or guidance.

I’ve always loved learning. I was a natural at math. But it took until I was 24 years old to attend college, where I studied math and secondary education. I finally decided to pursue a doctorate at UCLA to focus on school transformation and find out why kids struggle so much with math. I was determined to study the problem and find a solution, hoping to forge a path towards both college access and success for underrepresented students.

Founded in 2011, College Bridge is the culmination of years spent with students in classrooms, with administrators, counselors, and teachers, with academics and researchers, inspired by my personal journey. I know first hand what it’s like to get lost in the system that neither recognizes the needs of students nor how to prepare them for success in higher education. I am committed to focusing on student trajectories and building bridges to renovate our educational system, one school at a time.