Mission

The mission of the PUENTE Program at Yuba College is to increase the number of students who transfer and enroll in four-year Universities, earn their degrees, and return to the community as leaders and mentors of future generations. 

About the Program:

The PUENTE Project is a national award-winning program that has improved the college-going rate of tens of thousands of California’s underrepresented students. Students enrolled in the PUENTE Program receive the following services: 

  • Designated Counselor who provides academic, personal, and career counseling to prepare students to transfer to a four-year college or university. 
  • PUENTE English and Counseling cohort for one academic year. 
  • Mentor support to build the social and cultural capital for future success as college students and career professionals. 
  • Conferences, leadership training, and university campus tours.  

Eligibility Criteria:

  • Puente is open to all students at Yuba College who want to transfer 
  • Eligible to take ENGL 1A 
  • Eligible to take COUNS 10 and COUNS 25 
  • Have the desire and commitment to engage in program events and activities 

Benefits:

Puente’s Community College Program integrates six strategies to help students reach their goals. 

  • Teaching: Students attend a two-semester accelerated English writing series with the same Puente-trained professor. 
  • Counseling: Puente-trained counselor provides intensive academic and career counseling strategies. 
  • Mentoring: Students are matched with adult mentors who act as role models. 
  • Leadership Development: Puente helps develop leadership skills among students. 
  • Enrichment Opportunities: The Puente Community College program offers many opportunities for students to enhance their learning with experiences outside the traditional classroom environment. 
  • Ongoing Support: Puente has been recognized nationally for its commitment to providing ongoing support services to its students, who are sometimes referred to as being part of the Puente familia. 

History of Puente

Puente was founded in 1981 by Felix Galaviz and Patricia McGrath at Chabot College in Hayward, California. The program was established to address the low rate of academic achievement among Mexican-American and Latino students. Puente implements a program of rigorous instruction, focused academic counseling, and mentoring by members of the community. Puente’s staff training programs have benefited approximately 300,000 students across the state. Puente is open to all students. 

To Contact Us: ycpuente@yccd.edu 

Our Office is Located: Marysville Campus 100B Building

Puente Team at Yuba College:

Anabel Toche
Dean, Student Success 

Kyra Mello,
English Faculty Coordinator

Alejandra Duran,
Part-Time Instructor, Counseling Faculty Lead 

Puente English Coordinator
Kyra Mello
Professor English and ESL
Professor Mello has been teaching reading, composition, and English as a second language in northern California community colleges for twenty-five years. Nineteen of those years have been at Yuba College. In addition to teaching, Kyra has served Yuba College in other capacities including as the Writing & Language Development Center Coordinator, Distance Education Coordinator, and Puente English Coordinator.
She has developed several innovative curricula that aim to push the boundaries of argumentation, critical thinking, and multi-modal and cultural literacies. Outside the classroom, Kyra is an active member of the college’s Professional Development Committee and is the Director of the Northern California Writing Project (NCWP), which is a regional affiliate of the National Writing Project. As NCWP Director, she has led numerous community outreach programs aimed at promoting literacy and education.
In her free time, Kyra enjoys spending time with her family which includes her husband, four adult children, a two-year-old baby granddaughter, and her best-furry-friend Moose. She loves all things outdoors, especially hiking, kayaking, and snowshoeing. Kyra also enjoys traveling and road-tripping in her VW van.

Puente Counselor Lead
Alejandra Duran
Part-Time Counselor/Instructor

Alejandra is a proud daughter of immigrant parents who worked as farm workers to provide more opportunities for their children. As a first-generation college student, she attended Sacramento City College and participated in the Puente Project, which inspired her to pursue a career as a counselor. She later transferred to UC Riverside, where she earned a B.A. in Chicano Studies. Alejandra also holds an M.S. in Counseling with a career specialization from Sacramento State.

With over nine years of experience in higher education, Alejandra has worked with ethnically diverse populations, focusing on first-generation, low-income students. Her roles have included co-instructing and coordinating college courses and activities, tutoring, mentoring, outreach, recruitment, matriculation, retention, and collecting data for institutional research. She is passionate about supporting students, helping them explore their aspirations, and simplifying processes for a smoother college experience.