The Puente Project works to expand access to four-year universities for educationally underrepresented students in California. Its mission, to increase the number of students who enroll in four-year colleges, earn degrees and return to their communities as mentors, aligns closely with UCLA’s mission as a public university.

“It’s essential that we collaborate to not duplicate the networks and programs that already exist,” said Claudia Salcedo, the Assistant Vice Provost for Academic Partnership and Director of CCCP. “Partnering with the Puente Project for this conference helps connects CCCP’s mission to a larger audience and allows us to continue to share the life-changing potential of higher education.”

Conference workshops addressed the first-generation college experience, university admissions, career pathways, wellness and the transfer process. Students heard directly from university leaders, connected with current UCLA transfer students and alumni who shared their experiences and engaged in discussions about academic excellence, educational equity, and social justice. 

Dean and Vice Provost of Undergraduate Education Adriana Galván welcomed attendees in Royce Hall, which was filled to capacity. Her remarks underscored UCLA’s enduring commitment to transfer students and access-centered programs like CCCP and the Puente Project that partner with community colleges to strengthen both transfer-sending and transfer-receiving cultures. 

Current UCLA students and Puente alums volunteered at the conference, eager to share their experiences with conference attendees. Umbrellas in hand, they lead campus tours highlighting educational pipelines and different communities’ contributions to improve the transfer experience. 

“Volunteering at the Puente Conference was important to me because it allowed me to give back to the program that guided me to UCLA,” said Antonio Sanchez Martinez, a third-year sociology major who transferred from Riverside City College. “Witnessing current students in the same position I once was, I hope to inspire them to see that anything is possible.” 

For many students, attending the Puente Transfer Motivational Conference was their first time on UCLA’s campus. Walking through lecture halls, meeting faculty and even dancing in the rain during lunch allowed them to imagine themselves as future Bruins.
 

“The opportunity to see college campuses is really good for prospective students,” said Julie Pelaez, a third-year anthropology major. “They can get their feet on the ground of the campus, try to immerse themselves where they could potentially be a student, and get a feel for the campus in comparison to their community college.”

As UCLA expands partnerships with community colleges across the state, programs like CCCP and events like the Puente Conference demonstrate importance and transformative potential of collective investment in transfer student success.