BRDG Bridge to Connect

We create a bridge to success by enhancing first-in-family college students’ opportunities in the technology field.

Imagine being the first in your family to attend college; navigating unfamiliar systems, balancing academic pressures, and dreaming of a better future, all without a roadmap. For first-generation college students, especially those pursuing STEM careers, this is a daily reality. They face systemic barriers that limit their potential from a lack of career guidance to limited access to professional networks. As a result, many accept their first job at salaries up to $20,000 below market rate, which can mean losing as much as $800,000 over a lifetime.

At BRDG, we believe no one’s future should be determined by the circumstances they were born into.

We walk alongside first-in-family students, providing the support they need to thrive. Our holistic, knowledge-transfer model offers one-on-one mentorship, career coaching, skill-building workshops, exposure to industry. Every service is designed to not only open doors, but to ensure students feel seen, supported, and set up for long-term success.

To further prepare students for the professional world, BRDG created the Innovation Challenge, a multidisciplinary project competition that mirrors real-world workplace dynamics. First-gen students are integrated into teams alongside legacy students, creating an environment where collaboration and peer-to-peer mentoring occur naturally. Together, they tackle real problems, build solutions, and develop the communication, leadership, and technical skills that employers value most.

The feedback we received from our 2024 Project Competition participants are:
1. Professional Growth & Career Readiness:
Students developed real-world skills in communication, leadership, and problem-solving, making them more confident and competitive for internships and job opportunities.
2. Personal Development:
Participants experienced a shift in mindset by learning responsibility, accountability, and professional ownership through hands-on project work.
3. Exposure to Real-World Expectations:
The program simulated industry conditions by requiring students to produce feasible solutions under real-world constraints and defend their decisions with professionalism.
4. Coaching & Mentorship:
Dedicated coaches and consultants provided transformative guidance that shaped students’ growth and project success.
5. Community & Diversity:
The program fostered a dynamic, inclusive environment where students learned from diverse peers and built a sense of belonging.
6. Career and Academic Momentum:
Students leveraged the experience to succeed in interviews, connect with recruiters, and articulate their value in professional settings.
7. Program Excellence & Vision:
Professionals and students alike recognized BRDG Innovation Challenge as a uniquely impactful program that creates lasting opportunities and prepares first-gen students for meaningful careers.

We currently have 53 students in seven teams, and your support will enable us to scale our infrastructure for growth. Our goal is to increase participation by at least 30% each year—amplifying our impact, strengthening workforce readiness, and fostering meaningful connections among students, educators, and industry leaders.

Your $80,000 contribution will directly support the scale-up of the BRDG Innovation Challenge by strengthening our program infrastructure and expanding both reach and impact. With your support, we can strengthen the foundation of our program—building the infrastructure needed to reach more students, engage more deeply, and deliver with greater care and effectiveness.

We’ll be able to design creative strategies that connect students across the entire STEM pipeline—from high school through college and into the workforce. We’re also committed to improving how we support our volunteers and coaches by documenting insights and developing lasting training materials that ensure every participant is guided with compassion and clarity.

Your investment helps us build a stronger future; one where every student feels seen, supported, and prepared as confident, job-ready professionals. Together, we’re not just scaling a program—we’re opening doors, lifting voices, and creating a community where students can truly thrive.

BRDG will consider applications from students enrolled as STEM majors in any of the Orange County colleges and universities.

My aha moment came when I discovered that first-generation college students majoring in engineering often receive job offers that are up to $20,000 less per year than their peers with legacy connections. That inequity struck a deep chord and it became the spark behind BRDG.

I founded BRDG (bridge to connect) because I believe no student’s future should be limited by the circumstances they were born into. At BRDG, we work to level the playing field for first-in-family STEM students. Those who are determined, capable, and full of promise, should not face systemic barriers that can delay or derail their potential.

Our organization is built entirely by volunteers; professionals from all walks of life who share one mission: to walk alongside these students with empathy, structure, and unwavering belief in their potential.

Here’s how we do it:
• Mentorship: Weekly one-on-one sessions offer students steady guidance, helping them build confidence, career awareness, and a sense of belonging.
• Professional Development: Our workshops, led by industry experts, teach essential soft skills and workplace norms not typically covered in academic settings.
• Financial Support: We offer a $240/week stipend to reduce financial pressure, especially for students who support their families while trying to stay on track academically.
• Internship Access: One of our most transformative moments is when a student secures a paid internship in their field; an opportunity that can shift the entire trajectory of their life.

To further prepare students for the workforce, I created the BRDG Innovation Challenge; a 20-week multidisciplinary project competition that simulates real-world workplace dynamics. First-gen students are placed on teams with legacy students, where collaboration and peer-to-peer mentoring happen naturally. Together, they solve real problems, build meaningful solutions, and develop the communication, leadership, and technical skills that employers value most.

These remarkable young people show up every day with resilience, determination, and hope. I’ve seen what’s possible when they are met with the right kind of support and I know that with our help, they’re not just building careers, they’re breaking generational barriers.

It truly takes a community to lift a student to their full potential. I invite you to be part of this movement whether through funding, partnership, or advocacy. Your support will help us expand our reach, deepen our impact, and ensure that no talented student is left behind simply because they didn’t have the right network.

Let’s build that bridge together.

Caecilia Gotama, P.E.
Founder and CEO

As a scientist, knowing the right questions to ask is fundamental to the pursuit of understanding, and I think each of us can relate to that feeling of discomfort when we simply don’t know what we don’t know.

For students who are the first in their family to pursue a college degree, the realities of being a pioneer can threaten to transform those “unknown unknowns” into fears that can grow to derail even the most earnest of dreams.

BRDG bridge to connect (BRDG) supports students seeking to attain degrees in the disciplines of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) precisely at that point in time when their visions of a successful career and more rewarding life are just beginning to come into focus.

BRDG helps students who want to make a difference through scientific endeavor and leadership yet lack some of the critical knowledge and resources to successfully navigate from the academic world into the professional one.

BRDG accomplishes building this critical “bridge” through an intensive and immersive program of mentoring, life skills coaching, and academic support while also providing a small stipend to ease economic pressures.

As a successful professional with more than 40 years working in industry and education, I have lived through the advent of the personal computer and the internet and have seen how today’s students often find themselves distanced from face-to-face discussions and coaching, losing the opportunity for interacting with peers, faculty, and other professionals.

When the economic demands and cultural differences that are commonly present in the life of a first-generation college student are added to this reality, feelings of isolation often exacerbate what already is a challenging pursuit.

Research shows that first-gen students not only are more likely to drop their majors in STEM, they also are more likely to exit from STEM careers after graduation.

Because of BRDG’s “hands-on” engagement, students who complete the program have the tools and skills required to achieve career success, and prospective employers can expect to onboard a productive, mature resource who is poised to become a leader among their peers and especially for those who want to follow in their path.

BRDG graduates represent the people, and professionals, who significantly contribute to companies, impact our communities, and enhance the technological competitiveness of our country.

I am proud to volunteer my efforts to help all involved with BRDG create a better, brighter future we all can share and enjoy.
William T. Cousins, Ph.D.
President and Chairman of the Board of Trustees, BRDG