RICHARD ARELLANO CONSTRUCTS
   a Brighter Future

At 5 a.m. the alarm blares, signaling the start of another day for 18-year-old Richard Arellano. He must get ready and catch the bus to make it to the Sierra Vista Community Center by 7:30 a.m. As one of 30 selected participants of YouthBuild San Joaquin, Richard is striving to create a brighter future. The nine-month program provides a fresh start for youth between the ages of 16 and 24, who have not received their high school diploma.

“YouthBuild has given me a second chance at success,” Richard said.

A typical YouthBuild day is from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and split between classroom work and construction experience. Students work toward earning a GED or high school diploma while learning valuable construction skills. This gives them an edge in the workforce and helps them become responsible community members. The environment fosters leadership development and emphasizes giving back to the community through service hours.

“YouthBuild has heightened Richard’s awareness about work and responsibility,” said Richard’s father, Patrick. “The program helped him defi ne his goals and understand what hard work can earn.”

The group is reconstructing a duplex into a new YouthBuild office.Through YouthBuild, Richard is learning how to cut, measure, tear down, and apply dry wall, skills which will make him an ideal candidate when he begins a job search. Until then, he is paid $7.50 per hour and receives bonuses for being a foreman, with the potential to earn $9,000 throughout the program.

“I witnessed [Richard] take full advantage of all that YouthBuild has to offer and turn his life around,” said YouthBuild San Joaquin Coordinator Sheilah Goulart. “He is one of our most passionate advocates.”

The leadership opportunities provided by YouthBuild helped Richard acquire valuable public speaking and group work skills. In fact, as chairman of the YouthBuild policy committee, he spoke on behalf of YouthBuild San Joaquin at the YouthBuild USA National Conference in Washington, D.C. The experience sparked a passion in Richard, which he plans to pursue in the future.

“After graduating from YouthBuild, I hope to work for the program while attending college,” Richard said. “It needs help expanding nationally and internationally and I want to be part of this movement.”

YouthBuild is part of SJCOE’s County Operated Schools and Programs (COSP). It is a federally funded partnership between San Joaquin County Offi ce of Education and San Joaquin Housing Authority.