BOOKS4KICKS

Youth in the Americas – State of Emergency

Our work with Youth in America centers on building leadership among as many youth as we can possibly reach. We work directly with middle school and high school teens and work toward sending them to college with a full tuition.

Our project focuses on student aspiration, not school performance. We know from experience how difficult it is to succeed in school and keep a high GPA while growing up in poor neighbourhood communities with dysfunctional families. This is an approximate 7 year project to build confidence and leadership in low income communities, 1TEEN@TIME.

“My name is Paola Santos, I am 22 years old and I am from the Hermanas Mirabal province of Salcedo, in the Dominican Republic.

I live with my mother, my two sisters and I am a mother. I had my daughter at a very young age because I did not have the wisdom I have today, but that has not prevented me from moving forward and knowing what I want my destiny to be.

My destiny is to be a Doctor, and thanks to Aura Castro, an angel that God put in my path and who is helping me, I am in the middle of my career.

Every day I strive more and more to have good grades and not let her down, since she put me in one of the best universities for me to have a good academic formation.

Few people have such a big heart, if the world had more people like her everything would be better.

My family is low-income and my mother, working every day in a bank and in the city hall, helps me with the fare and takes care of my daughter. She is a great support on my way. I also work to get ahead because when you want to, you can. And even more if you have women who help me along the way like Aura Castro and Jahaira Liriano.

They are my two mothers and thanks to them and my effort today I thank God after 3 years in the race and I am entering pre-boarding school. I am only two years away from success.