CEO Address - May

May 2014

Spring is in the air. What a welcome sight! This season always brings with it a sense of great promise and inspiration. It is difficult to feel anything else other than pure optimism as the sun shines brightly upon us and flowers bloom with vibrant color.

This time of year is perhaps my favorite at Y.O.U., Inc. We customarily begin to examine the milestones of our service year, reflect on accomplishments, and re-invest in our future. We proudly cheer on the youth we support in our educational programs as they pass standardized tests, graduate from high school (or achieve its equivalent), and prepare for college admission in the fall. We get to witness, first-hand, the outcomes of our programs and services.      

I recently attended our Bruce Wells Scholars (BWS) Upward Bound program’s annual celebration event at Clark University. Once again, 100% of our graduating BWS seniors are heading to college in September! Once again, as each senior reflected and shared about his or her BWS experience, we heard direct testimony about the expertise, creativity, and commitment of our BWS staff. For those of us who shared in that particular celebration, we left inspired about our youth and optimistic for their future. We re-committed to our Y.O.U., Inc. mission.

I do not use the words “once again” lightly. Our outcomes reflect a high level of expertise, thoughtful planning, and extraordinary relationships with parents, educators, and other supports. Our outcomes also require an abundance of true grit. Our staff never give up. Our staff pursue our mission with tenacity. We demonstrate this perseverance through our actions. When our beliefs and actions align – kids succeed.    

Please visit back here every week or so to learn more about our successful year. You can also keep up-to-date by following me on Twitter @YOU_CEO_Beth. As we prepare for our next service year - which begins July 1^st - we do so with the joy and optimism of a beautiful spring day, and with the simple pride that comes helping others to build brighter futures.