Meet Kristian
Kristian first learned about PUENTE in 2017 when he was a junior at East College Prep High School in Lincoln Heights. As the first in his family to pursue a college education, he needed support.

With the help of PUENTE’s College and Career Program, Kristian was able to navigate the college application process and receive admission to multiple colleges, including Cal State LA, where he’s now a 4th year Electrical Engineering student.

“Perhaps what stands out to me the most from my time in the program as a high school student was attending a career fair at USC,” recalls Kristian about the event that inspired him to pursue a career in Electrical Engineering.

“At the career fair, I met Electrical Engineers from Northrop Grumman, an aerospace and defense company, who spoke with me at length about their revolutionary systems that impact people’s lives around the world.”

Kristian was in awe of their work at the forefront of many technological advancements in our nation’s history, ” from the first flight across the Atlantic Ocean to landing on the moon,” he told us excitedly.

From that moment on, Kristian wanted to do everything he could to become an engineer who invents the future and makes history. Fast-forward five years, and he’s well on his way to making that dream a reality.

Today, Kristian continues to receive support from PUENTE. He meets with our College and Career Instructors for one-to-one support and academic advising, attends our career workshops, and was even awarded a PUENTE scholarship.