The following are some success stories about youth who have been placed in jobs and received employment preparedness training through GYA.

Marco, Age 16
At 14, Marco began to hang out with the wrong crowd, and at 15, he was caught shoplifting. He was put on probation for six months, but he kept violating his probation by fighting and being truant from school. As a result, the court extended his probation to 2 1/2 years, and he was at risk of being sent to juvenile hall. When he was 16, a school counselor referred him to GYA, and we gave him a job. Marco says of his experience working with GYA, "Instead of hanging out with the wrong crowd, and getting into trouble, I was able to work and earn money. Work taught me to be responsible." As a result of getting a job with GYA, Marco began to take school more seriously. He graduated from high school on time and entered Glendale Community College.

John, 17 and Maria, 16
By the time he was 17, John had been arrested several times, had dropped out of high school, had fathered a child with his girlfriend, and had never held a job. He was referred to GYA, and we gave him his first job. He says, "The job helped me to be responsible." At the encouragement of GYA staff, John also went back to school, and he has not been arrested in the four years he has been working. Because he proved himself in his first job, John was promoted to a higher paying job. GYA also helped his girlfriend Maria, now his wife, to get a job when she was 17. Since then, she has also been promoted to a higher paying job. GYA's employment programs have helped this young family to make better choices and to begin to make their way out of poverty.

Quotes by our Supporters

One of the reasons GYA is so successful is that we have good partnerships with various community and government agencies, businesses, and nonprofits. Below are quotes by some of our partners.

Scott Anderle

Assistant Principal
Glendale High School
"I have been referring student to the Glendale Youth Alliance for about the past four years. I feel that it is important for students to work and go to school because they can learn many practical business applications that can help them in the future. I worked for a bank for seven years before I became involved in education, and I know that most students are not ready for the workplace. I am willing to do whatever it takes to help students find jobs and that is why I value my relationship with GYA."

Officer Sue Shine

Glendale Police Department
School Resource Officer for the High Schools
"I have referred numerous students to GYA over the years. These positions are essential for those in our community who are in desperate need of guidance, discipline, self-reliance, and those who are required to help their families make ends meet. I have had kids make a change in their lives and stop running with gangs, stop using drugs, and stop stealing to support themselves or their family."

Quotes by our Youth Participants

We frequently ask our youth participants questions about what they have learned in their jobs, and how they believe their jobs will help them in the future. Here are some of their responses.

What have you learned?
"I have learned that doing this work [brush clearance] is hard, sweating and getting dirty. So now I am going to do my best in school." Juan, 15
"I learned that it's always better to do more than your best." Jessica, 14
"I learned that money doesn't come out of nowhere. I had to work for it." Serenela, 16
"Respect each other and work hard." Goharik, 15
"I learned that earning money is not easy." Maria, 15
"I learned the value of a dollar." Zillian, 17
"Do not talk back to the boss." Armen, 16
"Do not bring your problems to work." Maria, 14
"This job gave me more skills and kept me clean and off the streets." Luis, 22
"I've learned about different cultures than mine." Jaime, 16
"I have learned how important it is to stay in school and get educated. I have learned the value of work." Garegin, 16
"I learned that I have to grow up and become responsible for my actions." Channell, 17
"Work is serious business. It's no joke." Sandra, 15