Bridges to Brighter Futures
Catalina Munoz remembers what it was like living on the streets in Colombia, selling and guarding cars just to make some money for her family. “Everything was so difficult,” recalls the mother of two. “I wanted to be a nurse, and I knew an education was the only way to a brighter future. I started taking classes, but I didn’t know how to pay for them.”
Fortunately, Catalina was accepted into the Johnson & Johnson Bridge to Employment Program shortly after she began her studies, and once that happened, she recalls, “everything for me and my family began to turn around.”
In Colombia, Bridge to Employment provides support for students at the Politécnico Internacional post-secondary technical school. Despite their excellent academic performance, many students struggle with tuition payments and are sometimes unable to complete their studies as a result. To help these students further their education, Johnson & Johnson, through Bridge to Employment, selects students in need, assumes an average of 40 percent of their tuition and provides other resources to help them perform well, such as tutoring, workshops and conferences. Johnson & Johnson employees often volunteer in many of these activities, acting as mentors to students.
Catalina was one of these students. Because of Bridge to Employment, Catalina says her academic performance has improved immensely, and her family life is happier. She is pursuing a nurse assistant degree through the program and is beginning to gain confidence in herself and what she can achieve.
Catalina is doing her best to complete the program and put the troubles in her life behind her. She says it is a constant struggle, but with continued help from Bridge to Employment, her goal of becoming a nurse is within reach.
“The tutorials help me answer questions that I didn’t think I could. The workshops teach me that people are worth a lot, and by working together, great things can be achieved,” she explains. “The lecturers are great human beings who teach me to appreciate what I am and what I must have: confidence. I think this will take me a long way.”
Johnson & Johnson Bridge to Employment partnerships are located in communities in the United States, Latin America, Africa, Asia and Europe. Each partnership includes a local Johnson & Johnson operating company, a high school or institution of higher education and a community organization. Every step of the program focuses on helping students further their education and provides them with a foundation on which they can build a brighter future.
Catalina is just one example of the impact that Bridge to Employment has on the lives of people in Colombia. Martha Pedraza also credits the program with helping her turn her life around so that she can follow her dreams.
“I’ve grown as a person and as a professional, thanks to the important lessons that I learned from the lectures, talks and workshops,” says Martha. “The instructors always helped us to never stop learning.”
For Martha, the program truly was a “bridge to employment”—it afforded her the opportunity to become part of the Johnson & Johnson Medical Devices and Diagnostics division, where she currently works.
“It’s incredible,” she says. “I work for the supply chain now, and I can really see how it’s possible to follow your dreams. Thanks to the program I feel like a better person, colleague, sister and daughter.”
Learn More:
2009 Contributions Report On-Line
Bridge to Employment Program
