Young Leaders Taking on New Challenges
A year ago, Guadalupe "Lupe" Romo joined LA
CAUSA YouthBuild after a grueling month-long orientation
and Mental Toughness period. Lupe came in with a
simple goal-finish her high school diploma. She'd struggled
in a couple other schools and was determined to meet
her goal at LA CAUSA.
At LA CAUSA, she found the support she needed to thrive
and emerged as a leader in the LA CAUSA community. Her
outspokenness and hardwork earned her the spot of representative
of LA CAUSA at YouthBuild USA's National Youth
Leaders Conference in Washington D.C.
As a graduate of LA CAUSA YouthBuild, Lupe is now
tutoring and mentoring elementary school children at the
112th Street Elementary School in Watts. Her job involves
making lesson plans, teaching, research, asking for donations
and working one-on-one with a special group of students.
"Heidi is a girl from Mexico who doesn't
speak English. I read to her [in English]
and she is getting way better at it," says
Lupe enthusiastically of one of her charges.
"She even races me when we read together
and she always wants me to call on her."
Lupe is one of four LA CAUSA graduates to join the City
Year Program. City Year is an AmeriCorps program that
unites young people of all backgrounds for a year of fulltime
service. LA CAUSA grads Joseph Cuellar, Edgar Del
Campo and Leticia Rosales also joined City Year. Each of
them works in different part of Los Angeles doing similar
activities - positively affecting the lives of children in communities
similar to those that they themselves came from.
For Lupe, her goals do not stop here. She plans to attend
college full-time after completing her City Year commitment.
At the end of this program she will receive a substantial
AmeriCorps scholarship that will go toward this aim.
"I don't want to waste my time," says Lupe. "This experience
is going to motivate me to push myself even harder."
Other LA CAUSA graduates have transitioned into the
working world and that of higher education with the support
of LA CAUSA's Job Development and Placement Specialist
Noemi Soto. To find out how you can support our graduates
contact Ms. Soto at 323.887.2500 or noemi@lacauainc.org.
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