The Power of Puente
Malerie Pattugalan knew she wanted to return to college but wasn’t sure how to navigate the responsibilities of a full-time job, the financial duties of living alone, and the additional pressure of new coursework requirements. But when her sister graduated from a local college, and her mother enrolled at Irvine Valley College soon after, Malerie was inspired to pursue her education and the Puente Program was there to support her along the way.