April is a UC Berkeley graduate with a degree in African American Studies and a minor in creative writing. In the near future, she will be attending graduate school for counseling. Her passions include working with at-risk youth. She is a mentor at Girls Inc., a program that provides more than 140,000 girls across the U.S. and Canada with life-changing experiences and solutions to the unique challenges girls face. Their mission is to “inspire all girls to be strong, smart, and bold”. April loves to write stories and poems. She is an avid traveler and would like to some day travel out of the country. An important goal for April is to continue to develop and expand her skills mentoring young children.

Thanh Diep graduated from San Francisco State University in May 2005 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Liberal Studies. She enjoys working with children and has been a mentor for the San Francisco Unified School District supporting students using Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC). Thanh is an accomplished artist and works for Creativity Explored, a program for artists with disabilities that provides them with “the means to create, exhibit, and sell their art” in studios and galleries around the world. In her free time, she enjoys writing essays and stories and loves hanging out with family and friends.

Tyson Renze is a founding member of Bridging Communities Through Alternative Communication (BCTAC), an Outreach Program of The Bridge School. He is a mentor, leader and role model within the group. He works tirelessly as a collaborator to plan and develop BCTAC activities. Tyson lives on his own in San Francisco and works diligently to manage all aspects of his life independently. He loves being active and enjoys working with his hands and telling people how to fix things or put things together. He is a jokester, particularly when around friends and family. Tyson considers his communication device his “window to the world.

Maricor Pagsanjan has a Bachelor’s Degree with a double major in Women’s Studies and Sociology from UC Berkeley, where she graduated with honors in 2009. She is currently working on admissions to graduate school to work towards a Master’s Degree in Marriage, Family and Child Counseling. She likes to read, go see live music, shop and hang out with friends. She’s a mentor for four teenagers with complex communication needs in the San Francisco Bay Area.