Game Changers: The Conscious Culture Volume 2 Issue 8 | Page 17

achieve greatness” Program
Sometimes life throws you a
curve ball.
Some curve balls can throw your
whole game off if you don’t have
a good support system in place.
They can completely knock you
out of the game for a while even
if you have a support system.
Young adults are not always
mentally and emotionally
prepared to handle some of the
challenges life throws their way.
They may become frustrated,
discouraged, defeated, anxious,
angry, or depressed. They can
feel like they are in quicksand
being dragged down. They can’t
move. The more they struggle,
the faster they sink. They have no
idea where to go or what to do to
get out of their situation.
One of the more widely known
programs of Connecting Henry
is the S.W.A.G. Program, which
is designed to assist young
adults with the skills, resources
and academics necessary to be
successful in the workforce. The
S.W.A.G. Program provides Life
Skills Workshops, Career and
Educational Support, Job Train-
ing and Counseling. A student
can move through the program in
as little as three months or take
up to two years depending on his
or her engagement and motiva-
tion to succeed. This past June,
in front of a packed auditorium
of families and friends of the
graduates, S.W.A.G. held a grad-
uation ceremony honoring the 43
students who earned their GED
Diploma and the 32 who par-
ticipated in a Work Experience
(WEx) internship.
These are just a few stories of
what is possible: stories of how
impenetrable the human spirit is.
They are stories about commu-
nity, resilience in the face of
adversity, and stories about life.
Andy
His life was never easy. He had
huge responsibilities kids his age
should never have to take on. He
was forced to grow up long be-
fore he was ready to. After years
of being a high school dropout
and working dead-end jobs, he
realized he wasn’t happy and
knew he wanted more.
Andy, a tall, solemn young
man in his early twenties, had
dropped out of high school six
years ago. He tells us, “Getting
my education wasn’t very high
on my list of priorities. Working
was so much more interesting
to me … I became comfortable
with making minimum wage
every other week. As time
passed, I grew tired … not even
doing something that made me
happy.” While in the program,
Andy was having problems with
his vision. He wasn’t working,
wasn’t earning any income, and
needed to visit an eye doctor.
Through funding received from
a local foundation, Connecting
Henry was able to send him to an
eye doctor and later purchased
the specialty lenses he needed.
He earned his GED diploma in
six months. Upon finishing his
diploma, he was employed in
an 8-week paid WEx internship
while he strategized his next
move. Andy, described as quiet,
persistent and eager became an
electrical helper apprentice and
now earns $14 an hour in a job
he really enjoys.
Disclaimer: At Connecting Henry
we respect every student who
comes to us for help – and many
are working toward a fresh start
in life. So while their stories are
true, some participant names and
images have been changed to
protect their privacy. Thank you
for understanding.
Carol
A girl whose beauty was ob-
scured by timidity and sadness,
was on a dark path to nowhere.
She felt hopeless and lost in the
maze her life had become.
Carol easily captures your
heart. She joined the program
under the age of 18 after being
out of school for two years. She
said, “Bad decisions led me to
this point.” When she went to
S.W.A.G., she couldn’t make eye
contact and barely spoke above a
whisper. Her self-confidence was
at an all-time low. Carol recalls,
“I just wanted to give up.”
With the encouragement and
support of the S.W.A.G. staff,
she earned her GED diploma in
ten weeks and was employed in a
12-week paid WEx internship at
Connecting Henry gaining valu-
able administrative experience
and skills.
Within the safety net provided
by the staff, she began to extend
herself and try new things. Carol
Game Changers Magazine Sep/Oct - 16