“If you gain anything, you will gain confidence. I always had a big outspoken voice, but I never shared it until I was here. I proved to myself I was worth it.”
-Daerik, YouthBuild Cycle 22
Before YouthBuild, Daerik tried unsuccessfully for 2 years to earn his GED. “I had given up, and felt outcast after trying to get my GED alone.” He started the YouthBuild program in November of 2016, and earned his GED in one and a half months. “The stuff we did in construction, the team building and volunteer work, was character building. It gave me the confidence to go back to school and get a job.”
Since completing the program, Daerik has been working full time at a computer shop. He loves that he gets to work with people and share experiences, and is currently in the process of getting his Associates Degree. “The YouthBuild staff really want to help you. The skills help you succeed, wherever you go. I learned to do things I didn’t trust myself to do before.”
