This is part of a series of posts by recipients of the 2021 Career Services Summer Funding Grant. We’ve asked funding recipients to reflect on their summer experiences and talk about the industries in which they spent their summer. You can read the entire series here.
This entry is by Jordan Bomba, WH ’22
My experience as a Bridges to Wealth teacher this summer was overwhelmingly positive. As a teacher, I worked closely with low-income, minority students at Central and Boys Latin High Schools. We worked through school material such as algebra, humanities, and physical science, as well as college preparatory. I also mentored two rising seniors as part of the college connection aspect of the program where I gave them deeper insight into the college application process, life as a student, and what to look for in their dream school. On a day-to-day basis, I was creating lesson plans for my classes, meeting with my mentees outside of class to ensure they are on track with their search and application processes, and continuing to develop my skills as a mentor.
Throughout my internship with Bridges to Wealth, I gained a tremendous and valuable skill set. Working collaboratively with other teachers and mentors taught me the importance of adaptability when things were not going as planned and leaning on others for support. At the same time, mentoring younger individuals that were in the same place that I was only a few years ago taught me two important lessons. The first being that it is immensely important to give back to my surrounding communities and use the resources available to me in order to help others. The second was how to be patient with people that did not understand something as quickly and working harder to understand material better myself, so I could explain it in a way that was more clear.
On top of the things I learned, I gained valuable assets to continue my career trajectory. I hope to continue working with low-income and minority students because I am one myself and can relate to their experiences. As someone that can also cite my abilities to navigate spaces where there are many people that do not have a similar background as me, I will have the capabilities to teach my mentees what I have learned and the tools I have gained. These skills will of course take years for my students to develop and master, as I am still working on them myself, but I would also have a better understanding of the growing pains that come with a new skill that is so foreign to many of the people I would be working with.
In conclusion, my internship with Bridges to Wealth provided me an irreplaceable summer experience that gave me real-time opportunities to grow my skill set, and it would not have been possible without the funding I received.
