For many young adults without a high-school credential, a path to college and a rewarding career can seem like a distant dream. Added to the challenge of single-parenting and holding down a full-time job, being an adult student brings its own challenges, and unfortunately too many young people give up. For Elizabeth P., it was her child that ultimately inspired her to go back to school.  “I wanted to teach my little one that with hard work and determination, you can make your dreams come true,” Elizabeth recalled.

Elizabeth enrolled in the Bridge to College and Careers Program, where she could study toward her High School Equivalency (HSE) while exploring her passion for the law and criminal justice. Her Bridge instructors, Billy Wharton and Tina Lee, and the advising team have gone above and beyond to provide Elizabeth with the one-on-one support she needed. Elizabeth’s College & Career Pathways advisor Lucila Sanchez even provided a walk-through of the college enrollment process.

Elizabeth was happy to have found a program that not only prepared her for her HSE diploma, but also for college. “I couldn’t have asked for better teachers and advisors,” said Elizabeth. “Lucila made the enrollment process so much easier than what it could have been.” In the fall of 2017, Elizabeth started her first semester as a criminal justice major, thanks in part to that support. The significance isn’t just a degree and the prospect of a better job but the opportunity to make a difference. “My way of contributing to the world [will be] by being the voice of many victims,” she says.

Elizabeth plans to transfer to John Jay College of Criminal Justice, where she will prepare for law school. She ultimately wants to work for the District Attorney’s Office and become a prosecutor. What advice would Elizabeth offer to current and potential Bridge students? Take advantage of every opportunity--starting with Bridge. “The program exceeded my expectations,” says Elizabeth, “and I know it will exceed yours too.” For someone who has accomplished so much in her first year back at school, we can’t wait to see what’s in store for Elizabeth in 2018.