Tiburon board members help power college-prep nonprofit

From left, Tiburon residents Alyene Schneidewind, Rebecca Bunyasaranand and Cathy Kennedy serve on the board of Sausalito-based nonprofit Bridge the Gap alongside fellow resident Dana Linker Steele (not pictured). The organization provides educational, social and emotional resources to underserved students in Marin City and Southern Marin, with the goal that all students get to and through college. (Clara Lu / For The Ark)

Alyene Schneidewind’s passion for Bridge the Gap is palpable. The Tiburon resident started out as a volunteer with the Sausalito-based nonprofit, which provides educational, social and emotional resources to underserved students in Marin City and Southern Marin, and now serves as the board president of the organization, whose goal is to make sure all students graduate high school and make it to and through college or an alternate pathway to economic sustainability and independence.

“They’re our kids, our families, our communities,” Schneidewind says. “They’re our neighbors to the south, and we want to help.”

Schneidewind is one of four Tiburon residents who are currently on the organization’s board of directors; she serves alongside Cathy Kennedy, Rebecca Bunyasaranand and Dana Linker Steele. Under the board’s leadership, Bridge the Gap last June was named a 2023 California Nonprofit of the Year, selected by Assemblymember Damon Connolly, D-San Rafael, as the recipient of the award for Assembly District 12; the state’s 114 legislators each annually select one organization in their respective districts for recognition.

“Their innovative programs have empowered countless individuals, ensuring that no one is left behind,” Connelly said in a press release at the time, adding that the recognition directly reflects on the “extraordinary efforts of Bridge the Gap’s incredible team and volunteers.”

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