Minding the Gap
Programs such as Bridge and SIGP helped Natalie Vasquez ’20 thrive
Five weeks before the official start of her freshman year at Northwestern, Natalie Vazquez ’20 left her childhood home in Melrose Park, Illinois, and moved to a campus residence hall. That summer, Natalie, a first-generation college student, joined several dozen incoming students in the Bridge program at Northwestern’s Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences.
Launched in 2007, Bridge is an intensive program that helps prepare students for college success by offering supplementary coursework and workshops on everything from study skills to stress management. Participants—many of whom graduated from high schools with little to no AP/IB preparation—can choose from two tracks: STEM disciplines or the humanities. During the program, Natalie says she spent eight hours a day in class studying math and science, preparing for a final research project.
By the time Wildcat Welcome kicked off, Natalie had two course credits, many new friendships, and a renewed excitement for learning. In high school, Natalie had imagined medical school in her future, but she says enrolling at Northwestern gave her the confidence to explore other career paths.
“Your first year really is about experimenting with what you like and pursuing what makes you happy and passionate,” says Natalie, the recipient of an endowed scholarship from the Elizabeth W. Arnold Fund.
Natalie found her passion and chose a major in communication studies and a minor in sociology. She is now putting her newfound marketing and media knowledge to use on campus and beyond. “Because of Northwestern, I am pushing myself to succeed and making connections with people I’m so grateful to have met,” she says.
Natalie helps build community on campus by working as a family ambassador with the Office of New Student and Family Programs. “Our main priority is helping parents and families make that transition of their student going into college easier,” she says.
After her sophomore year, Natalie received funding through Northwestern’s Summer Internship Grant Program (SIGP) to work as a marketing and communications intern at the Illinois Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. “Programs like SIGP make it a lot easier financially for students to gain professional experience.” Without the grant, she says, “I probably would have been back at my old summer job, working at the local swimming pool.”
In the future, Natalie, a fashion and music aficionado, hopes to break into the entertainment industry in New York City.
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