Written by: Kailey Otero Bravo, Caminos al Futuro 2026
“Hey, check Caminos al Futuro out, a three-week residential summer program with all expenses paid,” my sister messaged me with a hyperlink to the application. Despite my initial thought that this sounded too good to be true, I clicked on the link and applied, without being able to imagine the opportunities I would soon have access to.
During orientation, while discussing rules and expectations for our 3 weeks on campus, I flipped through the pages of the syllabus and was excited to see that during our second week we would be traveling to a Washington Spirit game.
The day came sooner than expected. In the scorching heat, we watched the Washington Spirit, ranked 2nd in the National Women's Soccer League, win 2-1, with two goals from my favorite soccer player, Trinity Rodman. I initially found out about Trinity due to her popularity on social media, and was quickly drawn to both her playing style and her story. Despite her lack of resources growing up, she worked relentlessly to become the star she is today. In addition to her personal achievements, Trinity has used her fame to uplift others, advocating for fair compensation in women's sports and access to sports for low-income children. Her grit and determination in the face of adversity, along with her commitment to supporting others, have inspired me throughout high school and during my time with Caminos.
At my high school in Northeast Georgia, I am the president of the Hispanic Organization Promoting Education (HoPe), a nonprofit which provides students educational resources, leadership training, and opportunities to give back to local communities. Unfortunately, though we have supported many students over the past few years, our programming is currently not accessible to students attending night school.
This is a significant problem, as research shows that a lack of extracurricular activities (such as HoPe) leaves students with fewer opportunities for leadership, less access to scholarships, and limited exposure to college resources. For my Caminos community action project, "Building Brighter Futures," I developed a 4-step plan to make HoPe accessible to night school students with the support of Cisneros Institute policy experts.
Though I am sad to be leaving Washington, DC and the friends I have created here, I am very excited to implement this plan as soon as I get back home. In my senior year and throughout college, I hope to be successful academically while also giving back to those around me. Trinity Rodman inspired this goal, and Caminos al Futuro has given me the confidence that achieving it is possible.
Kailey Otero Bravo is a 2026 Caminos al Futuro Scholar. Kailey’s views are her own and not necessarily reflective of the Cisneros Institute.