“Before YJC, I was a young mom feeling stuck and like I had no idea where to even pick up, but I knew I had to do better. I had a point to prove and that was to see how much more I could do for myself, my son, and our future.”

Twenty-three-year-old Andrea had recently graduated from college—she was the first in her family to do so—and was trying to figure out her next steps. She had always been interested in the medical field but didn’t know what to do or where to start. Luckily, she found YJC.

Jasmine is a 25-year-old single mother with dreams of a career in I.T. She started her YJC story not as a client but as an intern, working as a data associate under our director of data management (who noted her adeptness with analytics and data entry).

Patrick was unhoused, desperate for a job, and dreaming of a career in I.T.—so he linked up with YJC and made it happen.

25-year-old Kayla wanted to launch a career in cybersecurity but found that her lack of certifications and experience made it tough to find a job. So she came to YJC.

Alejandro is a teenager raised on the South Side of Chicago. He’s passionate about education and pursuing his goals, and he enjoys fishing with friends and personal investing. But despite his passion and drive, he found himself struggling to secure a job. So he came to YJC.

Gracie is a 16-year-old Dekalb High junior who was looking for a job. After seeing a social media post about YJC’s Old Navy program, she took the enterprising step of reaching out to enroll.

Aireyonna wasn’t sure what she wanted to do with her life. Nursing had always been a passion of hers, but she had to put it on the back burner due to becoming a mother as a teenager and, in her words, “life in general.” (Who can’t relate to that?) However, she held out hope that she would get to return to her dream at some point, and, as she puts it, “YJC was that stepping stone for me.”

Meet Montserath, a kind and driven young woman with an inspiring story. Read about how she dusted off a previously abandoned dream and found her spark again.