O. enrolled in the YES Duluth program this past quarter with the goals of completing her GED and gaining work experience to build her job skills. O. is in the early stages of working towards her goals, but her personal success in jumping back into school after ten years is always important to highlight a variety of successes. At 24 years old, she had last attended school in 10th grade and was ready to re-engage in her education. When O. first connected with YES Duluth staff, she shared that she was managing high anxiety and had concerns about returning to school after being out of the classroom for several years. She also had recently completed drug court successfully and was working to maintain stability.
In collaboration with YES Duluth staff and our community partner, Life House, we developed a plan to support O’s goals. She received stipends for GED study hours and engagement time in paid work experience, which helped reduce financial barriers while allowing her to build consistency and confidence in both school and the workplace.
Through this partnership, O. began a paid work experience with Life House’s Legitimate Hustle program, supported by YES Duluth. Within just a few weeks, she has demonstrated strong commitment—attending every scheduled study session and showing up to every work shift. Her on-site supervisor praised her willingness to learn and her ability to navigate anxiety by communicating openly when challenges arise. O. is learning a variety of entrepreneurial skills through the Legitimate Hustle program, including candle-making, inventory management, budgeting, customer service, marketing, and selling products. Her supervisor noted that she is steadily building confidence and becoming more comfortable taking on responsibilities.
After completing a GED pretest, O. set a goal to take the Social Studies portion of the GED exam in the next two weeks. She continues to balance her education and work experience, demonstrating consistency and growth in both areas.
O’s journey is a strong example of how support, opportunity, and determination can help youth move forward despite barriers. With the help of the Youth at Work Grant, YES Duluth, Life House, and her own perseverance, O. is on track to take her first GED test and is actively building job skills that will support her long-term success.
