Serving an Invisible Population

The Latino population in Davis is, in many ways, invisible. At least compared to other nearby towns.

Celina Rodriguez has made it her profession to ensure that local young people who could use some extra guidance do not go unnoticed.

Rodriguez is the assistant director of Davis Bridge, an afterschool program that goes way beyond simply helping kids finish their homework. Bridge is about building strong, positive relationships and providing students a foundation upon which to build their futures.

That’s not always easy in Davis, where the education system is, on the surface, in far better shape than surrounding towns like Woodland or Winters. When relief money is handed out from above, Davis isn’t always at the top of the recipients list.

But the truth is that more than 1,000 students in town qualify for Davis Bridge, meaning they come from low-income families or are struggling academically. The program, which depends heavily on donors, currently has the resources to serve 300 of those students. Without the efforts of Rodriguez and Davis Bridge’s founder, Janet Boulware, those students would go largely ignored beyond the normal classroom environment.

Davis Bridge is… 

It’s an educational foundation that strives to make college and academic success a realistic option and goal for all Davis students, regardless of income, race or ethnicity.

It’s not just for Spanish-speaking students, although they tend to be the ones who struggle most (financially or academically) in the district. For that reason, they make up the majority of students in the program.

Davis Bridge is modeled after the philosophies of Chicano Studies, which is what Rodriguez and Boulware majored in at UC Davis.

“It’s about relationships,” Rodriguez said, pointing out that Chicano Studies places great importance on giving back to community. “We’re like a family.”

Celina Rodgriguez is…

California Forward, an organization that aims to improve state government, identified Rodriguez as an everyday community leader in Davis. Here is a bit of background they provided about Rodriguez, who grew up in San Diego:

As a little girl, she saw two worlds--one where people could afford a lot and another where folks could barely survive.  This juxtaposition, she says, shaped who she is today and how she decided to spend the rest of her life.

“I experienced and saw a lot at a very young age,” she says. “Things I didn’t understand.”

Janet Boulware started Davis Bridge in 2004 with just 16 kids. Today, she and Rodriguez serve hundreds. They also have nearly 200 tutors from UC Davis, many of them from the Chicano Studies program. 

When Rodriguez talks about the program, it’s clear that her heart and soul are fully invested in the students as well as the tutors. She credits Boulware with helping inspire this passion.

“If you build a relationship with Janet, you end up crying a lot,” Rodriguez said. “She makes you stop and be in awe of the students. I cry everyday.”

The Purpose of Bridge is…

The Bridge program starts with homework, Rodriguez says, but that’s just a launching point for the building of friendships. I visited a classroom at Harper Junior High School last week and was greeted by plenty of chatter when I entered the classroom.

The students did not have their heads buried in textbooks; this wasn’t just an extension of their normal school day.

The students and the tutors were conversing openly, getting to know one another. They were more likes friends, or even family.

The program has roughly one tutor for every two students, which is an impressive ratio that ensures plenty of one-on-one contact. A teacher, who is responsible for up to 30 students at a time, could never dedicate this much attention to one kid.

The Tutors are…

A tutor can often get to the true source of a student’s academic struggle, Rodriguez says.

For example, a student who appears emotionally bothered or is struggling academically could actually have rotting teeth, uncertainty with his/her immigration-status, a lack of food, or a parent who has been deported. The list goes on.

Without one-on-one contact, these problems might manifest themselves as nothing more than bad grades. That has a ripple effect that could shape that child’s future forever as he/she grows up.

The emphasis on relationships has allowed Rodriguez to discover something she finds quite beautiful.

“The focus starts on the students,” she said. “But then it benefits the UCD tutors,” many of whom are the first-generation in their family to attend college.

By moving to UC Davis, they have plucked themselves out of their comfort zones and taken on a very real challenge. They often see the students as younger versions of themselves, which makes for a mutually beneficial arrangement. That’s probably why it works so well.

Often times, the tutors are even embraced by the students’ families, creating a closeness that goes far beyond the Bridge program. 

“Students have said, ‘I hate school, but I come to see you.’” Rodriguez said of the student-tutor bond. ‘These are the things that come out of the relationships we build.”

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Check out the Davis Bridge site for more information. You can make donations online. The program, which is free, lasts from the time school gets out until 5 pm. Read more about Celina Rodriguez on California Forward.

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