Randy has been a participant with the Los Angeles Youth Opportunity Movement (LAYOM) program since he was incarcerated at Camp Gonzales in March 2005.  He took college courses online in preparation for his transition back to the community.  Upon release, Randy was immediately enrolled in L.A. Trade Technical College for two semesters and then transferred closer to home at Mission College.  He needed to financially support his family and therefore, he has secured full-time employment and continued with his education part-time.  He has maintained employment for the past six months and has not had any more trouble with the law.  Successfully completing probation, Randy has spoken at various community meetings and has become a very effective youth leader.  He went to Sacramento on April 24, 2007 in order to share his success with the California legislature.  While there, Randy had an opportunity to visit the Office of Senate Majority Assembly Speaker, Gloria Romero, and also met personally with State Senator Gil Cedillo.  Randy was thrilled about his experience to learn more about the legislative process.

Congratulations to Genesia Rose for her enthusiasm, drive and success.  Genesia entered the Stand & Deliver Healthcare and hit the ground running.  Within two weeks of enrolling into YO! Watts, she not only successfully completed Job Readiness Training, but she took full advantage of the Department of Public Works (DPW) Recycling Internship.  DPW offers a six-week internship focusing on empowering the community on the benefits of recycling and its long-term effects.  Once she completed her internship, she was determined to enroll in LA City College to obtain her Associate Arts degree and eventually transfer to a four-year university.  She also discovered her love for her community by volunteering to help those in need at Big Fish Bail Bonds.  While getting a first hand look at their business practices, she also desired to assist those in need.  This prompted her to research becoming a bail bonds agent, so she enrolled in classes to accomplish her goal.  In April 2007, Genesia successfully passed the Bail Agent Association State Exam and is well on her way to becoming her own boss.

Michael Scrivens wanted to do something more with his life than working at McDonalds, but at age 21, this is where he found himself simply because he had dropped out of high school.  Michael was not happy with this dead end job, wanting to do something more with his life.  This led him to attend one of the Youth Opportunity orientations where he learned about our educational services that would allow him to earn his high school diploma.  He was excited about this possibility but it had been three years since he left high school and getting used to books and study looked really difficult.  However, he was up for the challenge of investing in himself and he didn't’t see a successful future flipping burgers.  Nothing could stop him!  He resigned from McDonalds and enrolled in school full-time. As expected, Michael was awarded his high school diploma.  This, of course, increased his self-confidence.  Our Business Unit referred Michael to unsubsidized employment with the Spencer-Reed Group, where he now works full-time as a Print Assistant, earning $10.00 an hour.

Delores Lewis enrolled in the Youth Opportunity program when she was in the 12th grade at LA High school.  She needed help with advance placement (AP) classes and was interested in going to college.  Through our program services, Delores received assistance with school subjects and was able to graduate with a 3.0 grade point average.  The following semester, she enrolled in L.A. Community College where she is taking classes that will lead to a journalism degree.  Ms. Lewis often returns to the program office to thank the people who helped her.  She is confident she will continue to excel and one day enter the world of journalism.

Lenita Lias is a participant enrolled in the Stand and Deliver Program.  Lenita became interested in working in the Healthcare field when she lost her mother to illness.  This traumatic event convinced her to pursue a career helping others in poor health; she resolved to train as a Vocational Nurse.  After much consultation with a Stand and Deliver Coordinator, Lenita entered training as a Medical Assistant. This short-term training allowed her to work in the medical field while she prepared for tests that would allow her to enter the Nursing Program.  Within six months, Lenita was awarded her Medical Assistant certificate and is now actively seeking employment in this field. Lenita knows she must pass the placement exam in order to achieve her long-term goal of becoming a Vocational Nurse. She takes advantage of the on-line enrichment classes with instructor Wendi Vaughn, who reports Lenita signs on regularly and works on increasing her skill levels and scores in order to pass the exam.