Language barriers can make even the most determined students feel isolated in the classroom. At El Puente Educational Center, that challenge is met with tutoring, mentorship, and community support — and this year, with the help of five CJ seniors who designed their capstone project to advance the center’s mission.
“Our project is named Por Ellos, which means ‘For Them’, the children at El Puente Educational Center. This is important because these students and their parents struggle with the language barrier, which can make their learning experience very difficult,” said Ashley Velecela ‘26.
The group aims to motivate students and enrich their learning experience at El Puente Educational Center, which serves Dayton’s Latino immigrant community. According to the center’s website, its mission is to serve as a bridge and connection point for Latino students in first through sixth grade — and their families — to achieve academic success, well-being, and increased integration into the Dayton community.
Jenny Rodriguez ‘26, Giovani San Juan ‘26, Ashley Velecela ‘26, Carlos Michala ’26, and Yaindhi Duran ’26, guided by Claudia Espinoza, chose to focus on expanding access to quality educational opportunities for children from immigrant backgrounds and encouraging them to continue their education and strive for excellence. They are excited to partner with El Puente — “puente” means bridge in Spanish — and are serving as a bridge themselves, helping English learners succeed in their coursework despite language barriers.
A Mission to Enhance the Lives of Latino Immigrant Students
After learning about El Puente Educational Center at CJ’s junior year service fair, Rodriguez and Michala began volunteering regularly. Through that experience, the group decided to dedicate their capstone project “por ellos,” meaning “for them.” The “them” refers to the students from Immaculate Conception, St. Helen, and Our Lady of the Rosary schools who attend El Puente to strengthen their writing and reading comprehension skills and complete their homework. The goal of this capstone is to plan engaging events and provide needed resources to El Puente, including school supplies and other enrichment materials.
“Giving the opportunity for quality education to children with immigrant backgrounds is so important. We hope that through working with us, they will continue their education and strive for excellence,” said Velecela.
Turning Mission into Action
Rodriguez, San Juan, Velecela, Michala, and Duran strive to be a source of light and encouragement for Hispanic students. They hope to instill a love of learning that inspires these children to continue pursuing educational opportunities. To support this goal, they organized school supply drives, collecting books, pens, pencils, and other essential materials. These tools are vital for students at El Puente as they complete their schoolwork. The group also hosted festive holiday events throughout the year to build meaningful connections with the children.
Their Instagram post described one event: “We had everything from pumpkins to be carved to prize-winning games to face painting, arts and crafts, and snack stations. When the kids came, they were very energized and all excited to participate in the fun games we had planned. It’s so important for them to have these moments to be kids.”
Velecela said, “El Puente means bridges. This bonding helped break down barriers, so the kids see us as more than just their tutors.”
Why This Work Matters
As a team, these five seniors believe that their work at El Puente — building relationships and becoming part of their students’ lives — helps young learners overcome language barriers. The students they serve are the reason this capstone group remains motivated to continue their efforts and stay involved with El Puente throughout the school year.
“Working on this project brings back memories of when we were in elementary school, when we relied on extra tutoring. We recognize that the language barrier is still an issue today. Not having English as your first language makes learning in school a challenge for many immigrant students and families,” said Velecela.