by Katherine Halberstadt Anderson '90
Spanning lakes, bays, rivers, and highways—bridges make it possible to go quickly across and beyond, connecting one place to another. But the bridges we cannot see often span greater gaps—across racial divides, cultural and financial barriers, and educational disparities—linking individuals and entire communities. Helping to bring about such connections at Wheaton College was the idea behind a fledgling program known as BRIDGE (Building Roads to Intellectual Diversity and Great Education).
A four-week residential program, designed as an academic enrichment and leadership program for low income and minority high school students, BRIDGE began in the summer of 2009, the brainchild of Veronica Ponce Navarrete ’08 and four friends.
Born in Mexico, Veronica grew up in a low-income housing project in Pittsburg, California. Her horizons expanded dramatically when she received an invitation to Quest Scholars, a Stanford University program designed to help promising high school students from disadvantaged backgrounds attend college.
With new confidence, Veronica came to Wheaton College, where with friends, she began envisioning a Wheaton program that would give others similar opportunities. After much research, this undergraduate admissions program welcomed 19 students last summer, and 32 (including returning and new students) this summer. Veronica already has a strong applicant pool for next summer, and ideas on how Wheaton alumni might partner with her in the future. “I can see how beneficial it would be for these students to job-shadow alumni for a day, or maybe even to have alumni mentors who would provide a strong Christian presence,” she says.
Following are stories of the many new paths already being traveled:
Wheaton Moves to the Top of the List
Growing up on the westside of Chicago, Kamaria Price ’14 always planned on going to college, but she had never heard of Wheaton— just 30 minutes away—until a friend told her about BRIDGE during high school.
“I applied for the program because I had heard it was supposed to be academically rigorous, and I wanted to see if I was ready, or close to being ready, for college,” says this reserved biology major, one of 19 students to attend the first year of the four-week program.
As part of the program, she applied to Wheaton, and though initially she had her heart set on a historically African-American college, she felt God’s provision for her when she received the Church Scholarship.
Halfway through her first semester, Kamaria already feels plugged in, in part thanks to the BRIDGE program’s resident assistants and teaching assistants. She says, “They take care of me like a little sister. College is such a new experience; it’s nice to have someone there for you that really cares.”
Kamaria’s positive experience with BRIDGE also led her to recommend Wheaton to her best friend, Ariel Gonzalez ’14, who is now an elementary education major and Kamaria’s roommate.
The Learning that Needs to Happen
“Last summer’s group of BRIDGE student workers was the most closely knit, ethnically diverse, expression of the kingdom of God that I’ve seen to date,” says Jake Boer ’11, an English literature and secondary education major who served for two summers as a teaching assistant for BRIDGE. Jake is interested in using his education major to teach in underserved urban communities.
The sole white male of the 14 staff members for four weeks this summer, Jake calls the experience, “uncomfortable, but definitely worthwhile. . . . I’m a perfect example of the learning that needs to happen for many Wheaton students. I grew up with very little knowledge of other cultures or racial groups in a place that is very homogenous ethnically.”
As a result, Jake says that before BRIDGE, he used to find conversations about race and racism awkward. “The program has helped me build relationships and friendships not just with the students, but also with my peers on staff.”
New Brothers and Sisters
Growing up, high school junior Darius Bell threw himself into sports to “get away from all the ignorance.” Watching others get shot, go to jail, smoke marijuana, drink alcohol, and get involved with gangs, this Urban Prep student from Englewood knew he needed to be different.
He learned about BRIDGE at school from his teacher, David Woo ’07, and found the dual focus on academic and spiritual growth appealing. “I wanted a greater connection with God, and to understand His Word better than I did,” he says.
Not only does Darius feel his faith has been strengthened after this first summer, he says he’s learned valuable time management lessons, and made lasting friendships. “You really feel like you have new brothers and sisters,” he says. “It’s a family environment where you can express your problems and share your feelings. Back home, you have to be who other people want you to be. . . . Here you can be yourself.”
Inroads into Communities
Associate Professor of Anthropology Dr. Brian Howell has taught an introduction to anthropology class in one week for the past two summers as part of the BRIDGE program. “This class is a quick dip into the pool,” he says, noting that thinking about culture resonates with many of the students. But what he’s most enjoyed has been watching the students thrive. “They grow so much spiritually, emotionally, intellectually by the time they come back for the celebration at the end,” he says. “My involvement with the program has been one of the highlights of my whole time at Wheaton.”
Dr. Howell is one of eight professors who have taught courses in the program. He sees tremendous value in the BRIDGE director’s cultural knowledge, and her ability to communicate with Spanish-speaking families in their own language. “People in these communities should know that a place like Wheaton College exists and that it is an option for their children,” he says.
In addition to opening doors to Latino communities, Dr. Howell says the program has inspired relatives and friends of BRIDGE students to apply to Wheaton; helped BRIDGE students gain admission to Wheaton and other colleges; provided a picture of what a Christian liberal arts education looks like; and offered opportunities for current Wheaton students. “Our students are really affected by these high schoolers—by the great hope and energy that they bring,” Dr. Howell says.
Untapped Potential
A sociology major from Rockford, Illinois, Andrés Villatoro ’11 says that working as a resident assistant with the BRIDGE program helped confirm his calling to work in an urban setting.
“I’m interested in urban planning or community development,” says Andrés, whose parents immigrated to the United States from Guatemala. He was especially struck by the potential of the students he met and mentored. “They weren’t coming from the best schools or the best areas, but they were so smart,” he says, adding that he believes the program “gives these students the tools they need to go somewhere in life.”
Veronica noted that the summer program brought out a side she hadn’t seen before in some of the student staff members, including Andrés. “He was outgoing, funny—totally different in a good way,” she says. “For students of color, Wheaton isn’t always an easy place to be. Sometimes you feel like you have to sacrifice a little piece of who you are to fit in. It could be that the summer program gives them a chance to be themselves as well.”
The Full Circle
“I’ve had a pretty rough childhood and past,” says Irving Ruiz, a high school senior who finished his second year of BRIDGE this summer. His parents divorced when he was seven, and he has watched his mother struggle to support him and his sister. “She tries her best to give us the best life possible,” he says, noting that he will be the first in his family to go to college. Irving grew up in Glen Ellyn, in a community that now includes refugees from Africa, Cambodia, Philippines, Mexico, Burma, and Guatemala.
He came to BRIDGE on the recommendation of a neighbor and mentor, and this summer, he committed his life to Christ. “We had a worship service here where we all felt the presence of God,” he says. And in fact, Veronica says that 17 students either recommitted their lives, or gave them to Christ for the first time this summer. “It was something I hadn’t anticipated,” she says. The program includes Bible studies, worship nights, staff mentoring nights, and small group discipleship, in addition to all of the academic curriculum.
Interested in a career in criminal justice, Irving says he has gained confidence in his abilities through BRIDGE. He adds, “Being here gives minority students the fire to be able to keep going and to not let negative influences affect how we do in school, or get in the way of our dreams.”
As part of the second-year program, Irving developed ideas for an outreach project that he hopes to implement next summer in his own community. “Where I live, there’s trash everywhere, and five kids have been hit recently by cars in the parking lot,” he says. He hopes to build community through a children’s program that will teach safety and responsibility.