Friends News
Newsletter of the Friends of the CommunityLearningCenter
Fall 2013
On the Web:
Four CLC Students cross the “Bridge” to College
Four students from CLC’s Bridge to College Program express their thoughts upon graduating from Bridge last June and then “from the trenches” as students at Bunker Hill Community College in the current semester:
Sophia Bruny, Bridge 2013
CLC, June, 2013: I was a student in computer science for three years until I moved to the United States after the earthquake struck my country, Haiti. Adjusting to this unfamiliar culture and language caused much stress, sleep deprivation, and sometimes humiliation, but my perseverance and my focus in school have kept me strong. Being in a country without your mother, father and siblings is not easy to cope with, but I overcome everything by working as hard as I can in order to get where I want to be.
BHCC, Fall, 2013:I am a current student in the Network Technology and Administration program. Being able to know that I am studying some things that can help me go ahead in my life is just priceless. I am always ecstatic to go to class even if it is overwhelming. Now I can picture myself in two years, something I wouldn’t dare do before. My goal is to be a Cisco engineer or a Microsoft engineer. For now, the course I am looking forward to is Switching and Routing because I like when I have a topology in front of me and they ask me to build and configure the network.
Pete Lawton, Bridge 2013
CLC, June, 2013: I am absolutely motivated to go back to school and wrap up my Associate Degree; from there I will transfer my credits to the University of Massachusetts, where I will complete a B.A. in education. My dream is to create workable culinary training programs as a teacher/instructor in the inner-city. I feel that this exposure would allow inner-city youths more job/career choices.
BHCC, Fall 2013:I will tell you it does not
take long to fall behind. The pace is very fast and demanding. It`s only by the
grace of God that I am able to keep up. I study every second that I can, on the train, on the bus, while shaving, eating and sometimes in my
sleep (smile). I study on the escalators, I study at the bus stop. A young lady
invited me out for a cup of coffee and I studied there. (Needless to say the
date did not go too well!) I study at work while I`m cooking (in between—some of
my papers even caught fire). I study in the bleachers while I go to some of my
kids’ practices. I don’t have an hour or two to dedicate to studying so I fit it
in where and when I can. It`s a long haul but I am on the way.
Roxana, “Tea” and Selima Endris at First Literacy Event at Fenway Park
Roxana Ramirez, Bridge 2012
CLC Friends Garden Party, June, 2013:Going to college has been like my Mount Everest….Being well prepared (with the help of the Bridge Program) has led me to be 100% certain that I will achieve this great climb someday, and when I graduate from Harvard Graduate School of Education with my Master’s Degree in Higher Education Administration, I will then consider myself being at the top of the world.
BHCC, Fall 2013:My first semester in college my mother was crossing the street when a car hit her. She had multiple fractures and a punctured lung. Before she went into surgery she made me promise that I would not miss my English 111 class. I went into this my second year with a 4.0 GPA. Right now Math is so hard! Aaaaggghhh! I’m going to start tutoring with my nephew, who also goes to BHCC.
Several weeks later: I am now part of the Honors Program! I just found out a few days ago.
Donna “Tea” Toscano, Bridge 2013
CLC, June, 2013:Returning to college in my mind was kept in the place in our hearts where dreams go that just seem too impossible to even consider, much less realize. I remember hobbling up the stairs (of CLC), struggling because I had just broken my ankle and wrist, to take the Accuplacer (test given before entering the Bridge Program, ed.) Little did I know what that hard climb would lead to.
BHCC, Fall, 2013:It is hard!! So much homework!! Right now that’s what I’m doing at almost 11:00 at night. My digital imaging professor doesn’t just give us one or two projects, but right now I am doing six!! Last night I had to design a city through imaging. It’s challenging!
A few weeks later: Week after week it gets a little more manageable. I am able to get to bed at 1:00 rather than 4:00. I know this is far from ideal, but it is better than it was. Also, I realize how much I underestimated myself because I got a fewof my papers and projects back and got somewhat good grades, so I am beginning to think I can do this!