JACKSON, Wyo. — A time-tested Central Wyoming College program has a track record of success in making the path from high school to college smoother.
After launching in the complicated academic environment of 2020, CWC’s Bridge to College & Success program is completing a successful third year in helping Latino students make the high-school-to-college transition.
Headquartered at the CWC Jackson Center in Teton County, the program known commonly as Bridge targets a handful of objectives over a month-long summer schedule, including strengthening English language skills for college-level work, kick-starting college orientation experiences, and offering both internships and job shadowing to lay groundwork for employment based on a student’s college studies.
After applicants are approved in the spring, Bridge meets four mornings per week in the summer, culminating with college registration for the fall semester.
Michell Rivas is CWC’s Bridge program coordinator at the Jackson Center. She said 10 Bridge students were accepted from an applicant pool of 16 this year.
All participants start the fall semester with four college credits in hand, with better preparation for university coursework as another Bridge benefit.
“The most important thing I experienced was a taste of what college is like,” said Diego Harnandez-Garcia, one of this summer’s Bridge participants. “My favorite part was when we had special guests talk to us about their experiences and share some tips on how we could ‘survive’ our first year of college.”
Not every Bridge student needs an English language boost, but those who take advantage of it see the benefit.
Bridge enrolls students in three typical first-year college classes, free of charge — something student Danny Huerta-Tzompa appreciated.
“That made the Bridge program beneficial for me,” he said. “I feel like I am more prepared for college than I was when I graduated high school.”
Bridge “helped me grow as a person and as a student,” he added.
CWC-Jackson has supported second language community members for years through the English as a Second Language program. Laura Hernandez, whose first language is Spanish, said she “had never understood a complete conversation in English” before enrolling in CWC’s ESL. She said she turned down some job opportunities because of language insecurity.
“Now I feel more comfortable and safe when I speak,” she said after her studies. “I want to take a course to become a nurse assistant.”
She made specific mention of instructor Theresa Bunker at the CWC Jackson Center, “the most patient teacher who helps me understand English grammar step by step.”
Bridge to College & Success and ESL are some of the programs that help CWC-Jackson produce job-ready graduates that support local businesses.
At St. John’s Health in Jackson, Central Wyoming College training is a proven resource for a major employer.
“Each year, we count on hiring new CWC graduates, and also have existing employees continue their education through multiple programs at CWC,” said St. John’s human resources director Thom Kinney. “I so appreciate having a local partner that provides a high quality education, and has taken the time to really understand our staffing needs.”
