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While each of us carry our own perspectives and experiences, we are united in the belief that students from underserved communities deserve pathways for economic mobility and independence after high school.

Our Passionate Team

Team

Gabrielle Campbell

Managing Director of Operations

gabbi@bridge-year.org

Young man in a pink polo shirt standing outdoors among greenery, representing the BridgeYear team dedicated to supporting students from underserved communities.

Angel Castillo

Outreach Coordinator

angel@bridge-year.org

Team

Ben Castro

Career Navigation Outreach Fellow

ben@bridge-year.org

Smiling woman in a gray sweater and patterned scarf, standing against a backdrop of vertical wooden slats, representing BridgeYear's commitment to empowering students in Houston.

Victoria Chen

Co-founder & executive director

chen@bridge-year.org

Team

Timeria Conley

Career Exploration Fellow

timeria@bridge-year.org

Portrait of a woman with braided hair wearing a denim jacket, smiling in front of greenery, representing the dedicated team at BridgeYear supporting students from underserved communities.

Geraldine Denasty

Program Manager of Career Exploration

geraldine@bridge-year.org

Allena Grant, Special Projects Manager at BridgeYear, smiling outdoors in a green blouse and black jacket, surrounded by greenery.

Allena Grant

Program Manager of Navigation

allena@bridge-year.org

Team

Vanessa Grover

Managing Director of Program Innovation

vanessa@bridge-year.org

Team

David Franco

Program Coordinator of Career Exploration

david@bridge-year.org

Angy Hernandez, Warehouse Coordinator at BridgeYear, smiling outdoors in a floral blouse, representing the organization's commitment to supporting underserved communities.

Angy Hernandez

Materials Coordinator

angy@bridge-year.org

Team

Hannah Kumba

Senior Program Manager of Navigation

hannah@bridge-year.org

Headshot of Ana Lewis

Ana Lewis

Senior Program Coordinator of Career Exploration

ana@bridge-year.org

Carlee Morgan, Chief Operations Officer at BridgeYear, smiling outdoors with greenery in the background.

Carlee Morgan

Chief Advancement & Growth Officer

carlee@bridge-year.org

Fabeah Newton, Chief Program Officer at BridgeYear, smiling outdoors in a floral blouse and light cardigan, emphasizing commitment to economic mobility for underserved students.

Fabeah Newton

chief program officer

fabeah@bridge-year.org

Smiling woman in a patterned sweater, outdoors with greenery in background, representing BridgeYear's commitment to student support and community engagement.

Evelyn Prado​

Managing Director of Student Experience

evelyn@bridge-year.org

Imani Raglin, Operations Manager at BridgeYear, smiling outdoors with greenery and a large tree in the background, representing the organization's commitment to supporting students from underserved communities.

Imani Raglin

Operations Manager

imani@bridge-year.org

Alex Reisinger, Career Navigation Program Manager at BridgeYear, smiling outdoors in front of lush greenery and a large tree, representing the organization's commitment to supporting underserved students.

Alex Reisinger

Director of Navigation

alex@bridge-year.org

Hugo Rivera, smiling in a navy shirt, standing amidst greenery in a park, representing BridgeYear's commitment to supporting students from underserved communities.

Hugo Rivera

Career Build Manager

hugo@bridge-year.org

Team

Tyler Rogers

Senior Program Manager of Career Exploration

tyler@bridge-year.org

Gustavos Headshot

Gustavo Sanchez

Program Manager of Navigation

gustavo@bridge-year.org

Team

Nanya Sanders

Navigation Outreach Fellow

nanya@bridge-year.org

Avery Suber, Development Manager at BridgeYear, smiling outdoors in a blue patterned dress with greenery in the background.

Avery Suber

Senior Development manager

avery@bridge-year.org

Team

Kim To

Communications Fellow

kim@bridge-year.org

Team

Anh Tran

Program Coordinator of Career Exploration

anh@bridge-year.org

Team

Jocelyne Treviño

Senior Communications Manager

jocelyne@bridge-year.org

Team

Daniel Varela

Build Coordinator

daniel@bridge-year.org

Team

Tanita Wiley

Program Manager of Enrollment & Outreach

tanita@bridge-year.org

Board of Directors

While each of us carry our own perspectives and experiences, we are united in the belief that students from underserved communities deserve pathways for economic mobility and independence after high school.

Kathryn Biron

Bank of America
Board Member

Mike Brennan

Gulf States Toyota
Board Member

Victoria Chen

BridgeYear
CO-FOUNDER & executive director

Kate Dearing Fowler

The Jerry C. Dearing Family Foundation
Board President

Victoria Doan

ExxonMobil Foundation
CO-FOUNDER & SECRETARY

Bob Edwards

Retired
Board Member

Veronica Frederick

Retired
BOARD MEMBER

Dawn Hawley

Retired
Founding Board President

Michelle Hilger

Phillips 66
Board Member

Joe Martin

PNC Institutional Asset
Board Treasurer

Sally Thayer

AxisCare Home Case Software
Board Member

BridgeYear Careers

We're looking for talented leaders to join our BridgeYear staff.

Learn More →

learn MORE ABOUT the careers we offer

Students engaged in career planning, holding informational pamphlets about apprenticeship pathways and skilled trades.

BridgeYear exposes youth to affordable and accessible careers that provide youth economic stability and independence. 

All careers we highlight:

  • Require less than a 4-year degree
  • Are in-demand by employers 
  • Provide a living wage
  • Offer career ladders/opportunities for advancement

Why non 4-year degree pathways?:

Traditional education has long placed great emphasis on four-year degrees, forcing many students – like those who cannot afford college, those with GPAs at or below 2.5 and those who simply aren’t interested in a four-year degree – to disengage from planning their future after high school. This has caused many to feel their only options are unskilled jobs, like in retail or food service, which often offer unstable wages, zero benefits and slim opportunities for advancement.

How do you know employers are in need of BridgeYear’s careers?

Instead of relying solely on workforce data, we partner directly with employers and corporate sponsors to learn what labor gaps they are facing now and in the future so we can help them recruit for their most immediate needs. Currently, we have partnerships with Gulf States Toyota, to promote the career of automotive technician, and the National Kitchen and Bath Association, to promote trade careers in the kitchen and bath industry including Electrician, Finish Carpenter, and Kitchen and Bath Designer.  

How our program impacts advanced youth

Young man assembling a pendant light fixture, demonstrating hands-on skills in the electrical trade, relevant to BridgeYear's apprenticeship programs.

Graduating high schoolers from low-income communities are part of the most vulnerable populations affected by the current crisis. COVID-19 has made their transition to college and the workforce less secure than ever, compromising crucial employment years that impact opportunities to escape poverty. 

According to a national survey conducted by Equitable Futures early in the pandemic, the coronavirus crisis has caused young people to feel great uncertainty about their future. Among a sample of “Black and Hispanic youth and white young people from households with lower incomes,” the percent of those who reported feeling very clear about their future job or career dropped from 43% in 2019 to 27% in 2020. The report also showed that a majority of youth value college differently with nearly 1 in 3 claiming they now think college is not worth pursuing compared to pre-pandemic. Today, this situation is expected to be worse due to plunging community college enrollment (NSCRC) and a 102% increase in student debt over the last decade (US Federal Reserve). These shifts all point to an important reality: youth need help forging non 4-year pathways that won’t trap them in a cycle of poverty.

Advanced youth, especially high school seniors and opportunity youth, have been BridgeYear’s primary programming focus since 2016. Our Career Test Drive® program helps youth plan their path out of high school by exposing them to affordable, in-demand pathways they can pursue immediately.

How our program impacts intermediate youth

Students participating in a hands-on medical training session, practicing skills related to healthcare careers, with a focus on youth engagement in career pathways.

To better prepare all students for opportunities after high school, BridgeYear offers our Career Test Drive® program to 7th-9th graders to increase awareness and strengthen career choice.

For 7th through 9th graders, our program was designed to help students make informed decisions that will prepare them for viable career paths after high school. As a result of House Bill 5, 8th grade students in Texas are asked to select an endorsement area for their high school studies. Selecting an endorsement – and specifically, selecting a Career and Technical Education (CTE) pathway within an endorsement – offers students the opportunity to earn a free, industry-recognized credential. Yet when so few students receive these industry recognized certificates in the greater Houston area, too many students are missing this opportunity to become competitive in today’s workforce. 

By exposing youth to in-demand careers they can get obtain accreditation for during high school, our Career Test Drive® program helps students decide what CTE pathway aligns with their skills and interests and inspires them to optimize their time in high school to succeed in the workforce. 

READ MORE ABOUT facilitation options

Students engaging in hands-on learning during BridgeYear's Career Test Drive program, with an instructor facilitating a Career and Technical Education activity in a classroom setting.

Our Career Lab program offers two facilitation options: our full-service BridgeYear Facilitation option and a Self/Teacher Facilitation option. 

BridgeYear Facilitation

  • BridgeYear manages full setup, refilling and maintenance of all materials.
  • Trained BridgeYear staff facilitate the entire experience in-person and offer students moments of critical thinking and discussion around the activity and career.
 

Available to schools and organizations located within the Greater Houston area. For those outside Houston, BridgeYear Facilitation is available for an additional cost to cover travel. 

Self/Teacher Facilitation

  • BridgeYear ships all materials to you, including extra supplies and refills. 
  • BridgeYear provides videos and an instructors manual that explain each step of the activity for use during classroom facilitation.  
 

Available to schools and organizations located outside the Greater Houston area. For those inside Houston, BridgeYear Facilitation is already factored into your quote.  

READ MORE ABOUT in-class facilitation

Via our full-service model (BridgeYear Facilitation) or through pre-recorded videos (Self/Teacher Facilitation), our Career Lab program will lead your students through in-depth career exploration all from the comfort of your classroom: 

    • Students explore one career per class period.
    • Each Career Lab activity is designed to be completed on student’s desk.
    • Career Labs can be purchased to be reused with multiple class periods. We sell extra materials and refills to ensure you have enough for each student.

This experiential learning program provides schools and teachers an accessible experience they can implement with each class period throughout an entire school day.

READ MORE ABOUT OUR HANDS-ON ACTIVITES

BridgeYear firmly believes that hands-on learning is essential to career exploration and building career identity.

All Career Test Drive® (CTD) Program simulations are designed like science labs in order to:
  • Maximize engagement: Students are more likely to enjoy career exploration if activities are engaging and fun.
  • Mimic real-life careers: By simulating real career tasks, youth are able to determine whether a career fits their interests and skills.

Students need more than just talking, they need doing.

After watching students withdraw from the monotony of career brochures, speakers and staged videos, co-founders Victoria Chen and Victoria Doan reimagined career exploration to provide an immersive, hands-on opportunity for young people to explore their options after high school.

As one student put it: “The [CTD Program] gave me more ideas on what I can become in the future and brought more light to skills I did not know I had.”