Reaching Back a Hand: Melissa Montiel ’21

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Melissa Montiel ’21

Chicago, IL

Melissa Montiel ’21 is a trailblazer. She was first exposed to higher education through Wheaton’s pre-college BRIDGE program—designed to prepare Christian first-generation students while in high school for the academic, social, and spiritual rigor of college. Encouraged to participate in the two-year program by teachers at her high school, Montiel spent two summers on campus at Wheaton—attending classes, building relationships with faculty and Wheaton students, and seeing firsthand what made the College unique.

“Being the first in my family to pursue college, I had no idea what to look for when choosing one,” Montiel said. “Going through the BRIDGE program at Wheaton, I saw how the faculty and student mentors were shaping me, both academically and spiritually, and it was amazing. I knew if the BRIDGE program came out of Wheaton, the College had something special to offer, and I wanted to be part of it.”

BRIDGE helped Montiel feel less alone as she began her freshman year of college as a sociology major. She came in with existing relationships with some of her professors and fellow first-generation students thanks to a tight-knit pre-college cohort. She also found a strong community through student-led groups like Unidad Cristiana (an organization for students from Latino cultures), the Office of Multicultural Development, and Student Involvement (formerly the Student Activities Office). As she connected with more faculty and staff who became both mentors and friends, she discovered she wanted to offer that same support to future first-generation college students like her. The summer of her junior year, she signed up to be a student mentor for BRIDGE.

“I remember when I went through the BRIDGE program in high school, my student mentor really helped me open up and feel cared for and seen,” Montiel said. “Becoming a student mentor myself, it was awesome to be able to lead five young women, all from different parts of Chicago, in a similar way—helping them share their stories.”

Montiel’s experiences at Wheaton and with BRIDGE helped solidify what she felt God calling her to do. “Being in the BRIDGE program made me realize this is what I wanted to do: work with these kids, help shape them in some way, and show them they are capable of so much,” she said.

Wheaton College diploma in hand, Montiel returned to her own high school in Chicago—this time as a staff member. Here, she spends her time organizing school events for students, including field trips to Wheaton. She often encourages them to participate in BRIDGE as a first step toward higher education. Outside of her work with the high school, Montiel also mentors around 20 high school students around Chicago, meeting monthly with each one.

“I love being able to bring my students to visit Wheaton,” she said. “Because of my experience as a student there, I can give them ideas of where they can find community on campus if they attend. When I think about the staff and faculty who had such an impact on me, I feel like my students would be in the right hands at Wheaton.”