High school was tough for Charmane from the get-go. On top of some medical issues her freshman year that caused spotty attendance, her family moved around a lot. She did well in some subjects and absolutely loved her graphic design class—but with multiple school transfers, she found the system hard to navigate and didn’t find the support she needed.

In her senior year, with not enough credits to graduate and her single mom struggling financially, she left school for a full-time job. She didn’t give up on her education though—not only had she liked her graphic design class, she was good at it. She was determined to somehow finish her education and pursue that passion.

She got connected with Reconnecting Youth at 20 years old and things just clicked. She breezed through three of the four GED tests, but needed some extra help with math. She was paired with a tutor, and in four months completed her GED. Next, she was matched with a case manager to talk about long-term goals and start at a community college. After her case manager helped land an internship in graphic design, she’s now in a transfer program so that she can earn a four-year degree.

While Charmane brought the determination, she credits Youth Source with the rest.

They give you so much support, even if it’s not school-related. You know that you can ask them about anything.

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