My name is Trevon. I joined YouthBuild in January and it has been so beneficial to me and to my life. Before YouthBuild, I was stagnant, stuck in still water. I wasn’t doing anything with myself. I was sitting around waiting for an opportunity, dreaming about a dream. I had been working on my GED for over a year, procrastinating and not taking it seriously. My progression had come to almost a dead stop. I was even homeless for some time, without income, couch surfing, roaming the streets and wishing for an opportunity.
I went to the YouthBuild information session and was blown away by the benefits of this program and the sincere motives of the staff to better everybody’s lives. It was amazing and I realized that I WANTED it. I worked to get all of the things needed for eligibility and attended mental toughness with positivity, went to the interview genuinely wanting success and was accepted into the program.
Since joining YouthBuild, I have made phenomenal progress. I already have my GED, am working towards my license, have been certified in areas that will look nice on applications, have a pretty nice looking resume (I didn’t even know how to make a résumé before Next Gen Zone classes) and learned more about construction then I ever thought I possibly could or would. I have been learning how to build houses and general construction skills and am actively working towards my RCA certification. I have also learned a considerable amount of things necessary in life and my personal pursuit of happiness, including team work, good positive attitude, and outreaching to our community. I am also in AmeriCorps, which is amazing. I have learned the importance of volunteering, not only when it comes to myself, but the importance to the community and doing what I think is right.
I have also learned how to set goals and the satisfaction of accomplishing those goals. Before YouthBuild I had no plan, only a dream. Now I have an elaborate plan that I am actively pursuing. I know what I want and know how to stay on the path towards my success. After I graduate this program, I’m going to SFCC for audio engineering, video engineering and business classes to accomplish some of my goals. I also want steady work, which will be a lot easier to obtain after graduating. YouthBuild is now and will remain a positive influence and opportunity in my life.