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 By 17 Jose was
on probation for grand theft felony and had multiple
probation violations. He lived in South County with his
parents and four siblings but did not follow family
rules. At school, he was far behind in learning basic
skills deficient and was habitually truant. He used
alcohol and drugs regularly to treat his emotional pain.
He was at risk of having his probation revoked and of
incarceration.
Jose was enrolled at Turning Point Youth Employment
Program and became a Silver Star student as part of a
program to help him successfully complete his probation.
At first, he was resistant to the long days and
structure of the program. However, he soon became an
active participant and took advantage of the education
and employment preparation. To help him catch up to
grade level, he was assigned a tutor. That extra
attention proved to be the help Jose needed and he
graduated from high school one year after entering
Silver Star. In addition to his diploma, Jose was given
the “Most Improved Award” and the “Outstanding Cyber
High Achievement Award” at his graduation ceremony.
Jose’s parents had instilled in him a strong work ethic
and he was motivated to earn money to help his family
financially. Jose jumped into the pre-employment skills
classes and worked cooperatively with staff to get all
his employment-related documentation in order. He
completed two different Work Experiences, one at a
produce company and another at a school. He told the
staff at Turning Point he preferred the work at the
produce company and decided to pursue a career in that
field. Turning Point helped him get the appropriate
clothing for interviews and coached him on his job
search. He successfully applied for and got an
unsubsidized job.
Today, Jose is working full-time in the produce industry
and returns to Silver Star to provide career information
and inspiration to other youth who are on probation and
struggling to make good choices. In addition, his
employer has agreed to flex his schedule to accommodate
his dream of higher education. Soon, Jose will be the
first college graduate in his family and a continued
positive example to his siblings and friends.
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