Empowering Futures: Nurturing Workforce Success and Personal Growth for Youth
“My experience at the Adolescent Skills Center changed my life. Thanks to supportive teachers and counselors, I realized my untapped potential.” – Kevin Molina, 22 years old, Brooklyn
Kevin’s Story:
At my high school in Brooklyn, I grappled with significant academic challenges, partly due to my diagnoses of Asperger’s, ADHD, and anxiety, and also because of a lack of support from teachers and staff. I enrolled at the Adolescent Skills Center in Queens to find the academic and emotional health guidance I needed to get my GED. I worked on-site for 6 months with teachers and counselors, gaining knowledge of and skills in history, math, science, and English. I felt challenged, seen, and appreciated in ways I had never experienced. When I obtained my GED, the ASC staff helped me enroll in Kingsborough Community College, where I ultimately graduated Valedictorian with an Associate’s Degree. Andrew, my ASC mentor, stuck by my side every step of the way, calling me each week to check in on not just my academic progress, but my emotional wellbeing. To this day, he gives me hope and helps me believe in my potential. I am now working towards my BFA at Brooklyn College and have ambitious dreams of becoming an artist capable of provoking meaningful conversations about important issues affecting our world.
It’s because of my experience at Vibrant that I have the confidence in myself to do big things.
I felt challenged, seen, and appreciated in ways I had never experienced.
About our Adolescent Skills Centers:
At Vibrant’s Adolescent Skills Centers (ASC), we work with individuals ages 16-22 who are tackling emotional and behavioral hurdles to enter the workforce. Operating from three locations in Manhattan, Queens, and the Bronx, ASC is bolstered by a committed team of case managers, counselors, employment specialists, youth advocates, and teachers. This wrap-around care model provides expert vocational training, supportive educational programs, and mental health support. Our mission is all about preparing youth and young adults with skills that will carry them through adulthood. Whether it’s landing and holding onto a job, continuing their growth with training programs, or aspiring for secondary and higher education dreams, we’ve got their backs. This year, we’ve made strides across these goals.
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