A program at Lehman College is dedicated to giving young Latino and Latina students opportunities in fields that lack representation. 

Janill Marquez is the program coordinator at the Bronx Institute in Lehman College and has witnessed firsthand the opportunities it has opened for young minds. 

"This program came about 20 years ago, and the goal was to really create something special that would serve the link between high-achieving Latino students in the Bronx and competitive education." 

Enlace, known as Latino Communities for Education, is a program committed to help students from seventh to 12th grades continue to thrive after high school. 

“What really stands out is a strong sense of community that is built around this program,” says Marquez.

The goal is to challenge high schoolers to apply to prestigious institutions and aspire them to pursue careers in science and mathematics. 

Bronx alumni Gabriela Lopez is on her way to obtaining her Ph.D in neuroscience. 

"My parents are from the Dominican Republic and they didn't have the opportunity to study so I always felt that I'm also doing this for them as much as I'm doing it for myself,” says Lopez.

For engineer Geuris German, it has given him a platform to encourage others from his community to go for careers like his. 

"It gave me that tools to be where I am now and I can say from that alone that I can do the same for just about anybody,” says German.