The PHP Board of Directors had a surprise guest speaker at the Board meeting last week. Luis Enciso Jr., a member of PHP’s Youth Down to Business program, wanted to share his personal experience, how the program has changed his life and express thanks to the organization. An excerpt of his speech to the Board follows:
“Hello, my name is Jose Luis Enciso Jr., and I’d like to thank you all for coming and allowing me to speak to you today. I’d like to share with you how PHP’s Youth Down to Business program has turned my life around. Before I joined the program, I was going nowhere; I thought life and school were just a joke. An incident had occurred during my freshman year which almost cost me my freedom. and I felt that I couldn’t trust anybody other than myself and my family. As time passed I learned about the Youth Down to Business program and the benefits of participating. They really cared about me and my future and I soon realized I could trust them and that they truly wanted to help. Everyone is the program has motivated and inspired me to do well in school so that I could succeed in life. My grades have now improved. This program also got me thinking about my future, the choices I have made in the past and the choices I have to make beyond my high school years. Having the PHP counselors come to Santa Ynez High School and present really helps everyone see different perspectives on school, life, and the work force. In the program we learn about career options as well as how to network with others to expand our knowledge. What I first noticed when I attended my first Youth Down to Business meeting was that everyone in the room was different; ethnic background, color, and age. But we all had one thing in common – we had all been down in our lives at one point or another and we are all trying to better ourselves and our lives. With PHP and the Youth Down to Business program in our community, we can and will succeed; we will better adults than what we could have ever been. Thank You”.
And we thank you Luis for sharing this with our Board.
PHP’s Youth Down To Business (YD2B) program has successfully provided workforce preparation and career counseling services to over 300 youth in the Santa Ynez and Lompoc Valley’s over the last eight years. YD2B assists youth to explore career options and become work ready; assisting with resume creation, interview preparation, internship opportunities and job shadow experiences. The goal of the YD2B program is for participants is to attain self-sufficiency and fulfill their greatest potential.
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