��������

Students from 18 Northern California high schools gained valuable insight into college life while spending a week living and studying at �������� earlier this month. This was the third year �������� has hosted students through the Avanza Summer Bridge, a week-long intensive program that grounds students in the �������� community before the start of the semester. 

This year's program even included a home-cooked meal.

Avanza Summer Bridge is part of the La Vida �������� program, funded through �������� being designated by the federal Department of Education as a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI). 

While La Vida is an HSI grant, it enables �������� to serve all students through a variety of evidence-based approaches and holistic support, says Dr. Lindsey Dean, La Vida �������� Director. 
 

“Avanza is centered on family and community, and we take great care and pride in fostering a sense of belonging even before the first day of the program with a virtual launch, as well as direct communication with both students and their parents/guardians,” says Dr. Dean.

 “Move-in Day for Avanza students takes place more than a week before the campus-wide move-in. It is important to note that Avanza is able to house students who will not be living on-campus while they participate in Bridge, providing an opportunity for commuter students to become familiar with and feel at home on campus. Move-in is followed by a celebratory introduction to the La Vida team, through which we ground the program’s intentions and pathways for student success at ��������.”
 

To ensure access and inclusion, this year’s event incorporated side-by-side Spanish translation for families. After the welcome, everyone was invited to a catered lunch at Meadowlands Hall, which provided meaningful opportunities for faculty, staff, and peer mentors to connect with students and their families. Afterwards, a dual-language session for parents/guardians ran parallel to peer mentor–led activities for students, designed to build community and address questions as they prepared to embark on their college journey. And this was just the start of Avanza…�ĝ

The campus community, including senior leadership, academic affairs, student success, student life, IT, and members of the alumni board, came together to work with and support the Avanza students. 

The 24 Avanza students received academic credit for participating in Dr. Lucia Leon’s “La Lucha Sigue” course. Each day the students worked with ��������’s network of integrative coaches, La Vida �������� staff and fellows, and peer mentors, gaining skills to ease the transition from high school to college. 

“Students spent seven days living on campus, attending workshops, getting to know each other, and bonding with their new roommates, learning about the �������� Experience, and even taking a trip to San Francisco,” says Josue Castillo, La Vida �������� Student & Summer Bridge Program Coordinator. 

“The students really enjoyed and appreciated the support and the warm welcome they received from the integrative coaches, from other campus staff and even from their own families, but also, they enjoyed the connections and friendships they were able to make.”

Castillo notes that students remarked moving into the residence halls earlier has made the process less stressful.

Having the guidance and support of our mentors and staff provided a sense of comfort, Castillo notes. This comfort included a visit to the home of Giulia Welch and Dr. Ernesto Diaz. Giulia is director of internships and professional development for the Barowsky School of Business and a La Vida �������� postbaccalaureate digital career development fellow. Ernesto is an adjunct professor for the Natural Sciences and Mathematics department. Both have been previously awarded �������� University’s Teacher of the Year Award.  

“The environment that we wish to create for our students was solidified by visiting our amazing Giulia’s Welch’s home, where she and her husband, Ernesto, provided a home cooked meal that truly embodied the meaning of family, the meaning of the Avanza Summer Bridge,” Castillo says. 

“Our students are excited about starting their college journey, but most importantly they are excited about moving forward together, about continuing to grow in their community, but also about showing up authentically, as they are.”

Students participating in the Avanza Summer Bridge program represented 18 Bay Area high schools, including Marin’s Redwood High School, Terra Linda High School, and San Rafael High School. Other schools included Woodland High School, Berkeley High School, San Ramon Valley High School, St Vincent de Paul College Prep, Oakland Technical High School, and Pajaro Valley High School.