When Michelle Caro learned she had been awarded a $7,500 scholarship award, it didn’t just help her financially, it affirmed her path forward.
“It felt amazing,” she said. “All my hard work paid off.”
A recent San Ysidro High School graduate, Michelle is headed off to college at University of California, San Diego to study pre-medicine.
“I look forward to serving my community,” she said. “That’s one of my biggest passions. I’m bettering my education so that I can come back and help my community more.”
To get to this point, she had support from Teens Rise Foundation, a Community Scholars Initiative partner of San Diego Foundation. Because of the nonprofit’s help, she found the guidance, resources and financial lift she needed to turn college from a dream into a reality.
Bringing Opportunity Home
Founded in 2018, Teens Rise Foundation is a community-rooted organization working to expand access to higher education for students in San Diego’s South County, particularly those who are first-generation college-bound or English language learners.
For Executive Director Gaby Millán, this work is deeply personal.
“Being born and raised here in South County, being a first-generation college student, I know firsthand what it means to receive those resources to be successful,” she said.
As a student, Gaby once commuted daily from South San Diego County to La Jolla so she could access the educational opportunities her mother envisioned for her. Now, through Teens Rise, she’s determined to bring those same resources directly into the communities that need them most.
Rather than operate from the outside, Teens Rise embeds itself within high school classrooms, building trusted, day-to-day relationships with students and educators alike.
Through academic support, college and career exploration, mentorship and financial aid resources, the organization ensures students don’t just get into college – they’re equipped to thrive once they’re there.
Impact Beyond the Classroom
In the communities Teens Rise serves, from San Ysidro to Imperial Beach, barriers to college access often begin early.
“A lot of these students are first generation college students, so they may not have the awareness of like how to fill out a college application,” said Marko Gutierrez, a teacher at San Ysidro High School. “How do I fill out FAFSA? How do I read a financial aid award letter?”
That was the case for Estefania Padilla, now a senior at San Ysidro High School.
“No one in my family ever mentioned that to me,” she said. “Coming into junior year and hearing people start to talk about college applications – I was taken aback, and it felt like I sort of had to rush to catch up.”
While the process was foreign to Estefania at first, she says thanks to her school support systems, it’s not as scary anymore.
She’s not alone. Since launching its academic and college access programs, Teens Rise has seen measurable growth across core learning and confidence indicators:
- Students showed a 40% increase in confidence in understanding post-secondary and career pathways.
- 13% showed growth in English proficiency.
- 18% improved their math proficiency, thanks in part to a partnership with Winward Academy.
These outcomes are reflected in the stories of students like Michelle.
“Teens Rise gave me a better opportunity,” she said. “It opened up my view of what was possible and made the college application process feel a lot more doable.”
That sense of possibility is what drives the organization’s impact. For many students, especially those who are the first in their families to pursue college, the support goes beyond tutoring or scholarship applications. It’s about feeling seen, understood and believed in.
“It uplifts students in a way that they see they actually have the opportunity of going into higher education,” Michelle said. “They feel well-prepared to take this very big leap.”
A Partnership Rooted in Possibility
The is just one example of how San Diego Foundation collaborates with trusted, community-based organizations like Teens Rise to expand access to higher education in the region.
For Gaby Millán, that support has been transformational – not only for students but for the organization’s ability to grow and deepen its impact.
“It’s definitely been a game changer and the support that the students are receiving on a daily basis,” Gaby said. “Those additional dollars allow for us to bring even more programming and elevate our current curriculum.”
With funding from the initiative, Teens Rise was able to award $117,000 in scholarships to 26 students last school year, helping them close financial gaps and confidently step into their next chapter.
The support has also bolstered the organization’s ability to sustain long-term relationships with schools, families and young people in San Diego’s South County.
“I’m really looking at the impact that we’re creating (together),” Gaby said. “Not just in the immediate today, but five to 10 years from now.”
Through collaboration, commitment and community trust, opportunities for higher education are possible for South Bay students like Michelle, who now sees college not just as a destination, but as a starting point to give back.
Her story reflects the future SDF is working toward through the Fifty & Forward campaign, an ambitious effort for a more just, equitable and resilient region. Together, we’ll grant $500 million for education, children and families, and the environment while raising $1 billion to ensure this impact lasts for generations.
