Being a part of the YouthBridge-NY Leaders to Leaders Youth Summit on March 13 was truly an experience like no other! Throughout the day we were able to assist and take part in a series of presentations by different leaders of representing our various communities. Each facilitator lead a presentation with about 8 or 9 teens and taught then about the particular program that they were there to represent. Each representative had their own stories to tell and through each story and presentation, the teens were able to further their knowledge of the world around them.

These past few months have been some of the most exciting for Bridgers as they gradually prepare themselves for the next phase in their lives – college. In order to aid in the process, Bridgers were given a chance to attend the Citizens Committee for Children to learn about advocacy and the Allianz center for roundtable meetings with the Pros, all of which were meant to give Bridgers confidence in pursuing their future careers.

On a cold, cloudy November 16 morning, the 92nd Street Y had a line that wrapped around its building filled with youth from all around waiting to get inside. Why on a cold Sunday would teenagers be getting out of their warm beds to wait in the cold on line? And who were these teens?

These past couple months of the Bridgers’ lives have been extremely busy. With college applications, scholarship deadlines, and the consistent and progressive movement towards the culmination of our high school careers, we have all...