Whittier High School's Puente Program

 

Puente is a program funded by the University of California. The goal of the program is to help increase the number of educationally underserved students to attain the goal of attending university and to return to the community as leaders and mentors to future generations.

 

 

Puente is a statewide, 4 year college preparatory program, which prepares students to be eligible to apply to and enroll in 4 year universities after high school. Puente is open to ALL students. Puente students work closely with the Puente counselor to prepare and adhere to an academic plan focused on college readiness. Students will participate in a variety of college and career themed workshops, social activities, college visits and cultural field trips. Family participation in Puente activities and quarterly meetings is important to student success in the program.

 

Family involvement is a key element to the success of the program. There are quarterly family meetings to help you keep informed about what is happening at school and with the students's progress. Puente also understands the importance of your student having access to their counselor. Puentistas will have the same counselor the entire four years they are in Puente. Our counselor and teachers work closely to make sure students are receiving counselor presentations every semester, 1-on-1 time to go over their scheduling for the next year, and in-class access to Counselor Mancilla for application support in October. 

 

Puente Clerk  |  Cynthia Gomez

 

Puente Teacher for 9th and 12th |  Maxine Sweeney

Puente Teacher for 10th and 11th |  Monique Mora

 

 

 

 

• Students with a "C" or better in their current classes

• First-generation college-going students

• Students who are motivated and organized in the classroom

• Students who want to explore college campuses and engage with culturally relevant literature in the classroom

• Students with high motivation but may need encouragement to do well academically
• Students with high motivation and high success, looking for like-minded peers