Dear Friends. The holidays are approaching and we’d like to close the year by spotlighting a few of our alumni. For more than 40 years, Youth Action YouthBuild has aided in the personal and professional development of the City’s young people. Approximately 70% of graduates go on to be placed in full-time jobs and retain employment for one year or more. Over the years many have returned to support the future generations and we invite you to be part of this action. Contributions can be made through our donation page which can be accessed below. Be sure to follow us on social media and spread the word to all those you know!
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ALUMNI STORIES
Johnny Rivera is an alumnus who is part of the original Youth Action crew. He first got acquainted with the program when looking for a Summer Youth Employment opportunity that could help him get money for the following school year. Never in his wildest dreams would he have imagined where the summer would lead him.
As a program participant, Rivera joined The Youth Action Restoration Crew who were tasked with building renovations. While he originally joined to be “manly”, it was the civic engagement component of YAYB that allowed Rivera to find his true calling.
Civic engagement made Rivera think about his community, his place in society, and what could or could not be done about it. Some of his stand out memories involve traveling and being able to see life outside of his immediate surroundings as well as traveling to D.C to attend conferences and represent the org.
To this day, Rivera continues to exercise his leadership skills through community involvement. Following Youth Action, Rivera went on to attend and graduate from Hunter College, joined Community Board 11 which represents East Harlem, started an employment training program, and ran for district leadership in East Harlem.
Throughout the years, Rivera has remained dedicated to bettering his community and he currently serves as Chairman of Synergia, a non-profit that provides services to developmentally delayed children and their families.
For his successes and experiences, he thanks Youth Action and the push for leadership development. He views this as being, “one of the most pivotal moments where young people can find voice and can find themselves playing a greater role which is truly a contradiction to the oppression that one is insignificant and one should remain as such.”
Nina Saxon’s introduction to Youth Action occurred when she was a teenager who had recently dropped out of school. After an honest conversation with her father, Saxon began thinking about her next steps and due to needing to obtain her GED she enrolled in YAYB.
Saxon refers to 97′ as a “rebirth year” for Youth Action. A new Executive Director, Elijah Etheridge, came from Baltimore and made it his mission to jumpstart the first YouthBuild location. Saxon credits Etheridge for many memorable program experiences such as a trip to a Maryland plantation which gave students the opportunity to travel outside the city and informed Saxon more about her identity as a young Black woman. Another stand out feature included participation in what was known as the Environmental Justice Program which involved a project measuring pollution pockets along Lexington Avenue in East Harlem.
Similarly to Rivera, Saxon became drawn to the leadership development component of YAYB which can be seen in the work she does to this day. As a student, her peers elected her to be VP of the newly formed Leadership Council. Additionally, she was able to travel around the country as part of the National Alumni Council which allowed her to come across and speak with national figures and elected officials.
Following program completion, Saxon went on to attend Morgan State University where she pledged Delta Sigma Theta, Inc and obtained her Bachelor’s in Speech Communications. She then returned to East Harlem where she received her Master’s in Public Administration and an additional degree in Organizational Leadership.
In keeping with her leadership background, Saxon’s professional career has involved becoming a member of Community Board 11, then later working for the Borough President and NYC’s Comptroller as the Harlem connection, to now announcing her candidacy for State CommitteeWoman for East Harlem’s district. It is clear to see that Saxon’s YAYB experience has shaped her life and she credits the love YAYB staff bestowed onto their students as being her motivation to continue her work in the past and now.
Anyssa Roper is a recent alumna who joined YAYB when she was a 23 year old young mom working as a server. She had tried multiple programs with the intention of receiving her GED, however they were not conducive to her schedule and she believed she was not properly supported.
Roper was then informed about YAYB and her time in the program opened her eyes to her own potential. She enjoyed the diverse program opportunities which focus on the development of a person outside of just the academic component. As a young mom, Roper was met with support and she viewed YAYB as a safe space where she could vent, work towards her goals, and achieve financial gains.
However, this road to success was not an easy one. There were multiple times when she wanted to give up, a time that occurs for many YAYB students. Due to staff’s persuasion and motivation as well as her own drive, Roper was able to commit herself and see the process through. She was able to obtain her GED which she says is vital in any future achievements one wants to gain.
Following program completion, Roper enrolled in higher education immediately and obtained her Associate’s in Criminal Justice. She is currently working to receive her Bachelor’s with the hope of becoming a probation officer. She advocates for the development of beneficial community programs such as YAYB because there should be, “an outlet or safe haven for people to come and tell their stories without fear of being judged and obviously accomplish a goal that they never thought they could do.”
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Youth Action YouthBuild leads our students with care as we work to create avenues that allow them to learn and grow. You can can assist in these efforts by spreading the word and donating today. Donations can be made above and feel free to visit our website to learn more about what we offer. Thank you!