Campaign for Tomorrow’s Workforce

Many great programs that target disconnected youth have proven track records of success. In New York City, New Heights Neighborhood Center, located in Upper Manhattan, is one of the premier organizations dedicated to serving disconnected young people. In this entry, we celebrate the achievements of an inspiring young adult, Kelvin Espinosa, who is a participant in one of New Heights’ programs and just passed his GED exam. Great work Kelvin!

From the staff at New Heights:
Kelvin Espinosa is a 22-year old young adult that joined our program in September of 2007. He signed up for our WATT (Worker Advancement Through Technology) program as well as for our GED Plus program. Mr. Espinosa was very focused in obtaining work readiness skills and in acquiring his General Equivalency Diploma. In November of 2007 he graduated from the WATT program. Furthermore, with our assistance and his preparation, Kelvin was able to obtain employment as a Security Guide with the Armory Foundation. During this seasonal employment Kelvin was highly regarded by his peers and was often given extra hours of work as a reward for his professionalism.

Kelvin was able to apply everything he had learned at New Heights Neighborhood Center, and his time management skills were put into practice as he was able to work many hours and still excel in his academic preparation. During the month of February, Mr. Espinosa accompanied New Heights Neighborhood Center’s Executive Director, Evelyn Fernandez-Ketcham, on a trip to Albany to advocate on behalf of the agencies [The Campaign for Tomorrow's Workforce] that are trying to obtain funding in order to help people like himself to become self-sufficient individuals. On March 10^th 2008, Kelvin was given the opportunity to take the GED test. He truly believed that he had worked hard enough throughout the last six months to pass the exam. On April 14^th Mr. Espinosa visited New Heights to inform us that he had officially passed the GED exam! Kelvin had a great feeling of accomplishment but he also understood that this was the first step into a world of opportunities. He was very thankful for the unconditional help that he was provided with at New Heights Neighborhood Center Inc. He is looking forward to continuing his education. Kelvin will soon visit us to receive college advisement as well as job referrals with career opportunities.