My Peninsula Bridge Journey: Lessons from a 5-Week Internship

This summer, I had the amazing opportunity to intern as a teacher’s assistant at Peninsula Bridge, a five-week program hosted at Sacred Heart Schools in Atherton. Peninsula Bridge offers enrichment and mentorship to middle school students from low-income communities who are motivated to pursue a path to success. From day one, the energy on campus was bold. Students enjoyed activities like ping pong, foosball, and soccer, which gave some competition that would last the whole 5 weeks.

The program itself mixed academics with hands-on creativity, which made the experience enjoyable for everyone. Each day followed a straightforward schedule: we began with advisory to share announcements and start the morning on a positive note, followed by first and second period, with a quick snack break in between. Students rotated between ELA and math during these periods. Around noon, we headed for lunch, and the day finished with an hour and a half of enrichment, where students would do a randomly chosen activity for the week. This part usually ended up being the best part of the day for everyone.

For classes, I was placed in class 7B, a 7th grade math class, to help them strengthen and build on their existing knowledge of fractions and ratios. The TA’s job was to make sure that whenever a student needed some assistance with a problem or just wanted to get on the right path, a TA would always be prepared. To my surprise, the students needed little to no help with concept checks, and more double-checking to make sure they got the answer right. 

During enrichments, I worked mostly in outdoor play through the program; a simple yet effective way to get the students on their feet and stay active. Some of the activities included games of soccer, ping pong, or even mini games on the field, like “duck duck goose”.
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In the last couple of weeks, I was assigned to help students code and build robots using VEX kits. Watching their faces light up when their robot moved or followed the code they spent hours working on was one of the most rewarding parts of the enrichment.
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And of course, Fun Fridays were a highlight for everyone. These were the days we all were waiting for. Some of my favorite memories include: S'mores making, where we set up solar ovens and roasted marshmallows to perfection, and waffle stations, where students got creative with toppings like whipped cream, strawberries, and chocolate chips. Slime labs were also a hit for many kids. This was all their first time making it, and their reactions were priceless.

​In just five weeks, I got to be a mentor, tech helper, and even waffle chef. But more than anything, I was a learner. I learned patience and how to build trust with students. Without programs like Peninsula Bridge, I would have never known how powerful it is when young people are given the tools and space to succeed.