Bridgette Goshtasb
Santa Clara County Board of Education - Authorized Charter | ACE Empower Academy Middle School
7th and 8th Grade (Math) | Years in the profession: 8 | in the district: 4
"I'm truly passionate about teaching because it's incredibly rewarding to see students who were struggling suddenly start passing their classes and watching their faces light up with happiness. When they go from not understanding something to saying, 'Oh, I get it,' it makes me feel like I'm doing my job, and it fills my heart with joy."
(Source : https://www.sccoe.org/trc/Pages/2024-Honorees-list.aspx)
WHY WE DO OUR WORK
Every student has the potential to attend college and succeed.
By middle school, many low-income students of color in San Jose’s poorest neighborhoods have been tracked into a vicious cycle of failure, having fallen well below grade level and lacking the support they need to overcome their disconnect from school.
ACE is wholly focused on these children and works diligently with them and their families to show them that college is possible. We focus all of our outreach on the most struggling and disengaged students and families.
The ACE student body is 92% low-income, 50% English learners, 93% first-generation college students, and 20% students with Special Needs.
Our students have proven that they can succeed:
WHY OUR WORK MATTERS
Our alumni have transformed their lives and the lives of their families.
Our alumni and their families have experienced a long, sometimes arduous, sometimes joyful journey at ACE. Children who come to ACE lacking self-confidence and grade-level skills become hard-working college students with a vision of a better future for themselves, their families, and their communities.
"Sometime in the future, I want to become a teacher and motivate students and help high school students go to college. I want to help к students build their confidence and believe in themselves especially those coming from the East Side."
-Manuel Martinez, ACE Graduate ‘16, CSU Stanislaus
ACE Updates
BLOG
ACE Newsletter – 4/14/20
See the ACE Newsletter from 4/14/20 below or View as a PDF here.
Building Community: Weekly Joy Factor Challenge – Musical Talents!
Each week, we’ve been building community at ACE with our Joy Factor Challenges! Last week’s challenge showcased the musical talents and creativity of our organization — congratulations to our top act: ACE Inspire Math Teacher Nick McMillan for his “Inspire-d” rap! We loved all of the submissions, and we’d like…
Families Fuel Our Mission: ACE Empower Parent – Guillermina Perez
Why #IChooseCollege for my child… My son Jose was inspired by a field trip he recently took at ACE Empower, and now he never stops talking about college. Since then it is an everyday conversation about how he needs to get ready, and how he is looking forward to one…
Our Staff Give Us Hope: Michelle Williams, Assistant Principal at ACE Esperanza
Why #IChooseCollege for my students at ACE Esperanza… Not only should our students go to college, they deserve college – that is their right as a citizen. Although Latinos make up a significant part of California, only a minority graduate from a 4-year program or receive a Master’s. That needs…
Thank you to our supporters!
Applied Materials Foundation
Charmaine and Dan Warmenhoven
Drummond-Berk Family Fund
Hastings/Quillin Fund
Quest Foundation
Scott Foundation
Severns Family Foundation
Shortino Family Foundation
Silicon Valley Community Foundation
Sobrato Family Foundation
Stifel, Nicolaus & Co.
Al Lauer
Dennis partner Teifeld
Heritage Bank
Hurlbut-Johnson Charitable Trust
Mike Lodoen
Walton Family Foundation