Think Together’s Alumni Continue to Shine Bright

Building the Way as a Future Engineer

One of Think Together’s 2021 Good to Great scholarship recipient and guest speaker at our 2023 Inland Empire Education and Workforce Readiness Summit, alumni Diego has continued to shine bright.

He’s currently a junior at the University of California, Irvine where he’s studying mechanical engineering.

As co-director of UCI’s Engineering Student Council outreach committee, he has mentored local middle and high school students by sharing what the engineering field is like.

Diego is also part of the Anteater Formula Racing Team, where a group of students design an F1 racing car and compete alongside 100 other universities across the U.S.

Diego attributes many of his mentorship qualities and leadership skills to Think Together and encourages current students to take advantage of the resources provided.

“Think Together is a great organization, not only for the connection that you’ll have with your friends, but also how it builds you as well,” Diego said. “I was able to start my school’s first Think Together Hack Club, so being able to run those meetings built my public speaking skills and my confidence as well.”

Leading the Way as a Leader

From Think Together student to now site program manager within the organization, alumni Gabriela is continuing to change the odds!

She was a Think Together 2021 Faces of the Future scholarship recipient and started as a program leader in Think Together’s Northeast San Bernardino region.

Gabriela has now moved up to manage the same school site she began in as a program leader! She is also currently studying criminology at Chaffey College.

She recounts that much of her personal and professional growth was due to the mentorship and support she received during her time as a Think Together student, and now as a staff member.

“I have more experience on how to talk professionally, how to work with adults, be more organized, and show more leadership skills,” Gabriela said. “I decided to become a Think Together staff member because I enjoy the environment and how students get to experience many extracurricular activities that they don’t get to do during the regular school day.”

Gabriela aspires to climb up the ladder within Think Together and possibly one day work closely alongside our founder and CEO, Randy Barth.

Changing the Odds for Communities

Gabriel has jumped to new levels since graduating from Think Together’s after school program. He is a junior at Dartmouth College studying political science and philosophy.

Gabriel has developed a passion for dismantling disparity within under resourced, low-income communities. It has led him to pursue internships within organizations like Rising Communities and the Dartmouth Sustainability Center.

While he was a Think Together student, Gabriel always advocated for new club opportunities for his peers. Now, he continues the work in intern roles like at Rising Communities, where he mentored other students. Gabriel lives out his title as one of the Think Together 2022 Faces of the Future scholarship recipient.

Gabriel credits his work establishing himself as an independent individual to Think Together’s support!

“Think Together really gave me those skills you need for independence. Like decision making skills and critical thinking skills, things that you use in your everyday life, especially as a first-generation college student. Being in Think Together really helped me cultivate those skills that I needed to be successful and be able to make right decisions.”

Working Towards a Brighter Future

Kaiya, one of Think Together’s 2023 Good to Great Scholarship recipient, is continuing to pursue her dreams and is working toward getting her bachelor’s degree in social work at California State University, Dominguez Hills.

Despite only being a freshman, Kaiya has big plans for her future: to graduate with a master’s degree in social work. She is following in the footsteps of her mom who currently works as a social worker.

Kaiya says that many of the tools she needed to succeed in college she learned during her time at Think Together, especially the support she received from her site program manager Ms. Stacey.

“Think Together to me is family. Ms. Stacey was my site program manager all throughout middle school and she ended up working at the high school that I was at for the first two years I was there,” Kaiya said. “During COVID when we were doing things together online, she was a big support. I was able to get my food handlers and my driver’s education through the program, both of which were a huge help.”

She has been transitioning into her first year of college with no hassle and has been getting accustomed to college life. Since Kaiya has cultivated a passion for uplifting communities, she has been interested in joining clubs on campus that provide support to those in need.

Paving the Way for Women in STEM

Alumni and a Think Together 2022 Faces of the Future scholarship recipient, Katrina is following in the medical science footsteps of her family, as a sophomore bioengineering major at the University of California, Riverside.

Since graduating from the Think Together program, Katrina has created big goals for herself to one day work in the medical supply manufacturing industry and obtain a master’s degree in a STEM field.

Katrina values the networking skills she cultivated during her time as a Think Together student and the leadership qualities she acquired while being an intern within the student leadership program for Think Together.

“Think Together to me was like my family and my friends. They helped me prepare for university and for my potential career, not just academically but on a social level. Networking is probably the most important thing to do and being able to communicate,” Katrina said. “That’s what Think Together really emphasized because it wasn’t just about helping each other with homework or clubs, but also being able to interact with each other.”

Katrina is excited for what lies ahead of her and can’t wait to build her career in the bioengineering world and hopes to work directly in the field, rather than be behind a desk.