Posts by Don Spangler
Hannah Johns: Finding Strength in Adversity and Charting a Path Forward
Quick Take. Hannah Johns overcame a difficult childhood in rural Nebraska to complete high school, enroll in community college, and, with the help of the state Department of Labor, land a full-time paid internship with Riverside Discovery Center, a park and zoo complex. Early Life. Hannah was raised in Garing, a small community in western…
Read MoreMuhamed Salevic: Learning from Mistakes and Helping Others to Avoid Them
Quick Take. Muhamed Selavic spent seven years in a variety of correctional facilities before finding his calling as a peer mentor. Then, based on his experiences, he created Washington State’s first formal peer counseling program for individuals in juvenile rehabilitation. Muhamed shared his experiences as an Action Hour presenter at NYEC’s 2021 Annual Forum. …
Read MoreMeet Jaime Jimenez: Persistence, Self-Efficacy, and A Vision for the Future
Quick Take. Born in San Diego, Jaime Jimenez moved with his parents to Tijuana at age 4. As he approached his senior year, Jaime concluded that he would never achieve his dreams if he stayed at his high school in Tijuana. Jaime managed to gain acceptance to a San Diego charter high school and, after…
Read MoreNew National Fund Report Highlights Successful Young Adult Sectoral Strategies
A new report by the National Fund for Workforce Solutions documents effective strategies identified over the past three years to engage and retain unemployed and unenrolled 18-25-year-olds in sector-based preparation and placement programs. The report, Connecting Young Adults to Skills and Jobs, summarizes lessons learned through the Young Adult Sectoral Initiative (YA Initiative), which included…
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