Perseverance Plus Community Resources Equals Success

Antone applied for YOU’s CareerNOW occupational training program as an unemployed high school dropout to pursue the Early Childhood Education field. She was enrolled in a specialized program, WIOA, to continue to expand her vocational skills in the childcare industry and address barriers through access to tutoring, financial literacy education and study skills development.

Antone was enrolled in GED services through Kalamazoo Adult Education. She went on her own to Goodwill Industries of Southwest Michigan for additional study time, proving how dedicated she was to complete her GED. Antone was an intern at New Genesis Inc. of Kalamazoo through YOU, working when he wasn’t studying. She was also provided financial literacy training through Western Michigan University.

Antone was hired at New Genesis Inc. of Kalamazoo as a childcare aide after her internship concluded. New Genesis typically requires their staff to complete secondary education before being hired, but they made a special exception due to Antone’s exemplary performance as a YOU intern.