Stories of Hope - 7th Edition

2022 | ISSUE VII

No Other Choice Maryann Le shares her journey from heartbreak to America’s heartland

Freedom

A vision impairment isn’t a roadblock for Ann Parola

Young Love Works Growing a family while training for an apprenticeship

Ch-ch-changes

A young man finally finds the stable family life he desired

Embracing Introversion

The life-changing experience of independent study

Starting Young & Growing Up Nathan Blanco takes responsibility to find freedom

Sharing Hope

through words and actions

Wisdom & Advocacy

Fresno City College provides the foundation

The Journey Towards Medical School: Overcoming cultural disconnections

FOCUS FORWARD BOARD OF DIRECTORS BOARD OFFICERS PRESIDENT

Joe Olivares, MSW Superior Consulting Service VICE PRESIDENT

Natalie Dodson, MSW Development Director California Teaching Fellows SECRETARY

Genesis Ortiz-Wilson CFO Dutch Bros Coffee Fresno Inc. TREASURER

Vicki Crow, CPA Retired

BOARD MEMBERS

Michael Lopez Business Representative Sheet Metal Workers Local Union District 104

Joe Olivares, MSW Superior Consulting Service

Naun Garcia Owner Inpower Marketing

Joanna Litchenberg, MSW CEO Focus Forward

Michelle Engel-Silva Executive Director Proteus Inc. Michael Burton Local Sales Manager Nexstar Broadcasting Group (KSEE24/CBS47)

John Lorance Support Service Coordinator Back 2 Work, Butte County Office of Education

CREATIVE TEAM Bertz-Rosa Strategy & Creative Suzanne Bertz-Rosa Creative Director, Writer, & Designer Kathy Kinard Editorial Assistant Dylan Hardcastle Photographer† †

Unless noted

COMMITTEE CHAIR

Karin Chao-Bushoven, MA Director of Research California Health Sciences University

Stephen Davis, MBA Sales District Leader PepsiCo

2022 | ISSUE VII

STORIES OF HOPE MAGAZINE COMMITTEE

Dr. Robert Pimentel President Fresno City College EMERITUS MEMBERS

Susan Anderson, J.D. Retired Matt Rosenfeld Senior VP/Regional Manager Broadcasting Nexstar Broadcasting Group (KSEE24/CBS47) EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP Joanna Litchenberg, MSW CEO Focus Forward

COMMITTEE MEMBERS

John Lorance Support Service Coordinator Back 2 Work, Butte County Office of Education Marisa Gamboa Executive Director, Court & Community Schools Office of the Fresno County Superintendent of Schools Michael Burton Local Sales Manager Nexstar Broadcasting Group (KSEE24/ CBS47) Michael Lopez Business Representative Sheet Metal Workers Local Union District 104 Michelle Engel-Silva Executive Director Proteus Inc. Naun Garcia Owner Inpower Marketing Stephen Davis, MBA District Sales Leader PepsiCo

BOARD LIAISONS FRESNO COUNTY PROBATION

Lori Willits Deputy Chief JJC Facility

Michael Farmer Assistant Deputy Chief JJC Facility FRESNO COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES

Katherine Martindale Deputy Director FRESNO COUNTY SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS

Marisa Gamboa Executive Director Court & Community Schools

4

No Other Choice

Maryann Le shares her journey from heartbreak to America’s heartland

8

Freedom

A vision impairment isn’t a roadblock for Ann Parola

12

24

Starting Young & Growing Up

Nathan Blanco takes responsibility to find freedom

28

Sharing Hope through words and actions

Young Love Works

32

16

Fresno City College provides the foundation

Growing a family while training for an apprenticeship

Ch-ch-changes

A young man finally finds the stable family life he desired

20

Embracing Introversion

The life-changing experience of independent study

Wisdom & Advocacy

36

The Journey Towards Medical School:

Overcoming cultural disconnections

40

Partnerships ServingYouth:

Fresno County & Focus Forward

Overcoming obstacles to achieve success Dear readers,

PHOTO: MIAKA HARDCASTLE

All of us are presented with barriers in our lives. Some hurdles have obvious and simple solutions. Others may feel inescapable. In our annual 2022 issue of Stories of Hope, we profile people who — through perseverance and grit — have triumphed in the face of significant challenges.

Maryann Le escaped communism, overcoming heartbreaking family tragedies, language barriers, and limited formal education to live free and thrive in her adopted country (page 4).

Ann Parola finds her freedom through cycling and work accommodations for her vision impairment (page 8).

Victor Rivera’s (page 16) and Donell Denton’s (page 28) lives were shaped by foster care. Donell finally found a home after dozen-plus placements, and Victor found home with an amazing foster family.

Other struggles are less physical. Daniella Flores (page 20) and Zofia Trexler (page 32) are now managing their mental health challenges while pursuing higher education.

PHOTO: INPOWER MARKETING

Nathan Blanco, Maribel Andres, and Ricardo Martinez tackled many roadblocks in their lives, including career readiness. Now, Nathan is a successful entrepreneur (page 24), and lovebirds Maribel and Ricardo are in union apprenticeship programs (page 12).

Inspired by his past, Andrew Contreras aims to remove cultural barriers from medical care as he studies to be a physician (page 36).

Each individual has their path and their own struggles.

They each have their triumphs as well because they didn’t give up. They faced their obstacles and persevered.

We publish this magazine to demonstrate and maybe even inspire the youth we serve and each reader that success is possible even through great difficulty.

Our core mission at Focus Forward is to create successful pathways for youth in the juvenile justice or child welfare systems while fostering positive change and promoting successful outcomes for the youth in our valley.

Together with our Focus Forward team, it is our great pleasure to share these Stories of Hope.

Sincerely, Joe Olivares Board President and Magazine Committee Chair

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Focus Forward: Stories of Hope

Joanna Litchenberg Chief Executive Officer

2022 • ISSUE VII

Meet the Focus Forward Team —

a deeply passionate group honored to serve youth and families in our community.

We create pathways to success for young people impacted by the juvenile justice and child welfare systems.

Focus Forward supports young people and their families to identify, plan and achieve success through six core pathways: RELATIONSHIPS Our family sessions and parenting education strengthens families. Our mentoring services for youth restore their trust in adults and connection to community.

EDUCATION Our pipeline to educational opportunities builds the foundation for their future through high school graduation and college enrollment.

LIFE SKILLS Individual and group sessions in financial literacy, parenting and tax preparation develop independence and self-sufficiency.

SAFETY Through harm reduction strategies and violence prevention education, we reduce risk and help our youth and clients find safety and stability.

WORKFORCE From job readiness to community service and employment connections, we develop the skills, confidence and support for a productive future.

MEDICAL & BEHAVIORAL HEALTH We connect youth and families to service providers to get their medical and mental health needs met.

LEFT TO RIGHT: Maria Martin, Samone Jackson, Marc Salazar, Karel Gonzalez, Roy Cammon, Crystal Gomez, Maribel Hernandez, Fernando Medina, Audrey Vargas-Valdez, Cherie Morales-Armendariz, Joanna Litchenberg, Erika Batiste, Crystal Navarro, Rene Moncada

www.focusforward.org

NoOther Choice

I

n 1969 Maryann Le was born in the Republic of Vietnam during the Vietnam War. Her father was a journalist, her mother a homemaker and small-business entrepreneur, and her uncles held high military rankings with the democratic regime.

The family continued to live in the jungle village for another five years.

Of the war, she remembers, “While I was terrified when bombs were coming down and exploding, I didn’t process the situation.”

Since Maryann’s family had no money to pay for passage, her dad took on the risk of being listed as the boat owner in lieu of payment. He and her stepmother worked on the boat, pretending to fish. It was important to show the boat was legitimate to avoid scrutiny from government officials. To avoid additional suspicion, Maryann and her stepsister, who is a few years younger, would go visit various vendors to gather gas for the voyage.

Maryann, a happy kid, was the youngest of six siblings, three boys and three girls. She started kindergarten in 1974.

The following year Saigon fell, marking the beginning of communist Vietnam and the end of Maryann’s home. “The communists confiscated our home,” she explains. “My father went to a detainment camp for a short time, like all the men at the time. My uncles were in a concentration camp for 15 years.”

The family was forced into the jungle.

“We cut down trees to make a cottage— no electricity or water,” she explains. “My three older brothers went to the forest first. They all got malaria, and two passed away one day apart from each other.”

Stories of Vietnamese people escaping by boat were circulating. Her dad had already remarried a woman with a daughter, and Maryann’s stepmother’s relative owned a boat.

“The first escape included me, my dad, and my stepsister,” Maryann recounts.

“The boat was pretty tiny. It was about 10–15 feet wide and probably 30–40 feet long, with about 69 people on board. We all sat holding on to our knees, crammed into the space.”

The boat almost sank. “It was an act of God that we survived.”

The broken-hearted family had to press forward, “When you are pinned in the corner, you figure out how to survive,” Maryann shares.

The United Nations High Commission for Refugees estimated between 200,000 and 400,000 Vietnamese refugees escaping by boat died at sea.

Maryann’s mom was hospitalized for a heart condition. “My mom never got over the grieving,” she explains.

Maryann was sitting next to her mom when she passed away while traveling back to their village from the hospital.

Maryann told her father, “I don’t think I could ever do that again.” He told her that she wouldn’t have a future if she didn’t. Maryann attributes her father’s love and leadership as what kept the family alive.

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Focus Forward: Stories of Hope

In early 1984, the family escaped again. “We were at sea for about seven days,” Maryann shares. Her family landed at a refugee camp on Galang Island in Indonesia.

The only way to exit the refugee camp was by meeting host country criteria and having a sponsor. “My family was sponsored by St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Decatur, Illinois, and we are forever grateful for their kindness,” Maryann relays. The family arrived in the United States on March 5, 1985.

She entered high school without knowing English and having only attended a total of four years of formal education. However, Maryann was still able to graduate in three and a half years ranking in the top five percent of her graduating class. She shares, “Education was the reason I escaped. I had no other choice but to be successful.”

In 1990 Maryann became a U.S. citizen.

She insists on sharing her appreciation, “I want to express my gratitude for living in America and the opportunities provided to my family and me.”

Maryann graduated Magna Cum Laude from Millikin University with an accounting degree and has been married to her husband Quy since 1992. They have three children. She acquired an MBA through the University of Phoenix campus in San Jose while working fulltime and caring for her young family.

Currently, Maryann is working towards her doctorate in Health Administration while serving as the Deputy Director of Administrative Services for the Fresno County Department of Behavioral Health. •

INSET LEFT:

Maryann Le, Decatur, IL, 1987 INSET BELOW, TOP TO BOTTOM:

Maryann in a white cap and gown with her older sister, SueAnn, Decatur, IL, 1988 Maryann’s father, stepmother, Maryann, her older sister, and younger step-sister, Decatur, IL, 1985 Maryann and her father, Fresno, CA, August 2022 RIGHT:

Inset photos from 1980s provided by Maryann Le

Maryann Le, Fresno, CA, August 2022

Focus Forward: Stories of Hope

5

Freedom nn Parola and her three siblings grew up on a kid-filled cul-de-sac in the 1970s and 80s. She was three years old when she learned how to ride a bike with training wheels; four when the training wheels came off. “I had an uncle who liked to teach all of us kids how to ride,” she remembers. While there were 16 kids in her Salinas neighborhood cul-de-sac, the playing squad increased when adding the children from the adjacent three cul-de-sacs.

“We would create ramps and ride around town,” she recounts.

“We played a lot of basketball with my dad and my next-door neighbor’s dad. We would play in the driveway, where my dad set up a light that allowed us to play until late at night.”

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Focus Forward: Stories of Hope

A vision impairment isn’t a roadblock for Ann Parola In utero, Ann’s eyes formed outside of the womb. Her right eye never properly formed and protruded. Her left eye developed to about 90 percent. She was born with a rare vision condition, Anterior Cleavage Syndrome. Ann is blind in her right eye and has a distorted pupil in her left eye that doesn’t dilate. “I struggle with shadow versus sun, going from one to the other,” she explains.

When she was ten years old, while having a rolled-up newspaper “sword” play fight with her brother, there was an accident. Ann didn’t feel any pain, but her right eye popped. It was split, which led to its removal. She was fitted with a prosthetic. Before the incident, she would have to travel to San Francisco monthly to drain the fluid on the bulging eye. Now, there is no pressure behind the eye, but Ann still experiences pain that can cause headaches.

Ann and her parents didn’t let her vision issues hold her back. She played sports, soccer, softball, basketball, and for a short-time volleyball, but it’s cycling she loves most. “Bike riding provides freedom. I can do well and not worry.”

Ann continues, “I love the feel of riding.

I love the wind. I love the trails and the beauty. There is so much out there to choose from for riding a bike. I may ride on the same trail every day, but

the trail is not the same every day. My sight makes it a challenge, but it’s fun.”

Ann moved to Fresno in 1991 and began working at The Wherehouse, a now-defunct retail music store, doing inventory and customer service. It provided the experience needed to get hired for one of her favorite jobs at Borders Bookstore, which she landed in 1998. “I loved the atmosphere.

I loved everything about Borders.

The customers were easygoing. It was nice to have the cafe there. The employees were like a family.” The retail chain closed in September of 2011, but the friendships remained.

“The day the store closed was a hard day.

It was sad. For me, there was uncertainty.

It was hard to figure out my future because of my sight,” Ann recounts.

work at home — and eventually hired her. Through the locally developed Disability Equity Project, VCB initially recruited Ann to manage a team for COVID-19 contact tracing in 2020. Ann now leads a remote crew of 12 who staff a variety of initiatives for the Fresno County Department of Public Health, including the Fresno Community Health Improvement Partnership (FCHIP) HOPE HUB Program, Disability Equity Providers (a resource number, like the 211 for people with disabilities), and answering the Fresno County general information operator line.

Ann recently welcomed a new puppy into her home, an Australian Shephard border collie mix with a matching distorted tadpole pupil named Heartly.

The company provided transition services, but the workforce firm seemed to lack the understanding of the necessary accommodations required for a partially blind person to work a job. Ann worked a few retail jobs until a former Borders colleague told her about Valley Center for the Blind (VCB).

Ann was hopeful as she checked out the organization. Not only did the center provide training courses on living skills and software, but they also helped Ann get the documentation needed from the Department of Rehabilitation to

LEFT: Ann Parola,

an avid cyclist, with one of her bikes.

RIGHT: Ann and her dog Heartly 2022 • ISSUE VII

9

Young “

We were able to become first generation union members within our entire families.

”

— Maribel Andres

Maribel Andres and Ricardo Martinez with their kids, Ava and Malachi.

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Focus Forward: Stories of Hope

2022 • ISSUE VII

Love Works Growing a family while training for an apprenticeship round 15 kids, ages 9–16, lived at the Villa Margaritas apartment complex in 2009, including Maribel Andres and Ricardo Martinez, who were both 11 years old at the time.

If Maribel couldn’t come out to play, Ricardo would sit on the ground outside her second-story window so they could talk. Maribel lived there for about two years. Ricardo lived there only one.

“My parents were addicts. My dad was never around. He was always in the streets, into gangs. My mom had me until I was about six months,” Ricardo shares of his early start in life. His dad’s parents primarily raised him.

Maribel is the youngest of seven kids.

In 2003, the family went to Mexico. Her father stayed behind when the family returned to the U.S. the following year. When Maribel was six years old, Maribel’s grandmother took over custody of her and her siblings for a short time; then, the kids entered the Foster Care system, where Maribel stayed until she was almost ten years old.

During Foster Care, Maribel’s mom would visit weekly for an hour. She continues, “It didn’t give us insights into the changes in her life. She wasn’t the mom she portrayed during the visits. She became an alcoholic.”

When Maribel was in eighth grade, the family was evicted. “All of our stuff was put out in front of the apartment,” she shares. Humor amongst her siblings kept the mood light and bearable. That night, the family slept right where the landlord had placed their furniture and joked about being homeless.

Ricardo dropped out of high school. He got a job. It wasn’t the life he wanted.

Now living with his uncle, Ricardo 2022 • ISSUE VII

decided to enroll at Crescent View West, a free, nonprofit charter school at Manchester Center. “I decided to walk through the mall. As I was exiting the mall, I saw Maribel. We made eye contact. I couldn’t really function,” Ricardo recalls. “She said, ‘Are you going to say ‘hi’?’ I said hi and gave her a hug.”

They then went their separate ways.

At home later that evening, Ricardo recounted the encounter to his uncle, who encouraged him to reach out to Maribel. He messaged her.

“It was kind of out of the blue,” Maribel remembers, but after some back-andforth texting, the teenage duo grabbed take-out from Panda Express and had a picnic. They reminisced and reconnected.

The relationship progressed quickly.

“Two or three months later, we were inseparable. We were both working.

Ricardo was working two jobs, and I was working at a law firm. It was Ricardo’s idea to have a baby. Since we already knew each other for a long time, we decided to get pregnant.” Their son Malachi was born on April 21, 2019.

More changes were on the horizon.

In the summer of 2021, Ricardo and Maribel were expecting their second child. Ricardo’s brother-in-law shared an event flyer from Workforce Connection about the union pre-apprenticeship programs. “I was working the night shift, so it [the event timing] worked with my schedule. The next day, I went to the open house,” Ricardo remembers.

He immediately told Maribel about the program. She was eight months pregnant when she applied for the program.

hospital right now getting ready to have my daughter, but I can still talk.’

The person on the phone said she was surprised that I even answered the phone, congratulated me, and suggested she call back on another day — but I insisted that we just get it done.” Later that day her daughter Ava was born.

Maribel attended the six weeks preapprenticeship program during her maternity leave. She graduated with offers from four unions: Plumbers and Pipefitters, Operating Engineers, Roofers, and Cement Masons.

On graduation day, Mirabel was one of the two speakers from her cohort. It was her first experience speaking in front of a large crowd. Now, Maribel has become an advocate for the Workforce Connection and regularly talks to incoming students.

Currently, Ricardo is a member of the roofer’s union, and Maribel is in the cement workers union.

Maribel shares, “Workforce Connection even helped with purchasing tools, boots, and everything we needed to be successful in our future careers. We will never find the right words to express how genuinely thankful we are.”

She continues, “Nothing in life is ever easy. I’m grateful for Workforce Connection and the resources.

They genuinely helped us get into great careers. Now, we have skills for the rest of our lives — to make better lives for our kids.” •

November 3, 2021, was a big day for Maribel. On that day, a woman from Workforce Connection called to conduct an interview for enrollment. Maribel recounts, “She asked if it was a good time to talk. I said, ‘I’m actually at the Focus Forward: Stories of Hope

13

The Fresno Regional Workforce Development Board (FRWDB) has programs to assist young adults with academic preparation and work experience opportunities and adults in their job search.

Our Young Adult Services provides assistance to: Young Adults 14-24 years old High School Diploma and/or GED Assistance Tutoring Career and College Preparation Leadership Skill Development Workshops Work Experience Opportunities Vocational Training Guidance

Call 1-888-409-6884 www.workforce-connection.com/yas

Our Workforce Connection One-Stop locations offer adults:

GREAT WAYS TO FIND A JOB Get one-on-one assistance from our trained staff when you meet the eligibility requirements to enroll in staff assisted services!

Search on your own using the computers, phones, copy machines and more at any of our Resource Rooms!

Log on to America’s Job Center of California at Caljobs.ca.gov to access career information and training availability!

Call 1-877-954-HIRE (4473) www.workforce-connection.com

ChT

o understand Victor Rivera’s story is to understand his upbringing as one of his mother’s ten children, the eldest boy.

When Victor was in kindergarten, his parents separated. “I understood something was changing,” he explained.

good “ They’re foster parents.

They gave me the experience I didn’t get growing up.

”

—Victor Rivera

When Victor was in second grade, things changed again; his mom had a new man who became his stepdad.

“He was a source of a lot of unhappiness, anger, and fear in the household. It used to be scary until, eventually, it wasn’t. It wasn’t better; I just became numb.”

Victor was ten when his mom had the first of his stepdad’s children. Four more siblings were soon added to the family.

He noticed his mom changing, becoming more critical and hot-headed like his stepdad.

In Victor’s family, there is the older set of kids and the younger set. He explains, “We [the older kids] had to take care of our little siblings most of the day.”

Victor’s mom split from his stepdad when Victor was a sophomore at Fresno High School. His homelife shifted again. According to Victor, his newly single mom made new friends and began spending time at clubs and partying.

Victor and his siblings felt their mom cherished her new friends more than her kids.

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Focus Forward: Stories of Hope

2022 • ISSUE VII

ch-changes Victor & His Siblings Share a dad *

ONE: GIRL +5 YEARS 23 YEARS OLD

TWO: GIRL +1 YEAR 19 YEARS OLD

VICTOR:* BOY 18 YEARS OLD

FOUR:* BOY -1 YEAR 17 YEARS OLD

Victor’s mom invited two guys, a couple, to live with the family in their five-bedroom home near Hamilton Middle School. The couple took one bedroom. His mom had her own room. Victor and his brother Four shared a room. His sisters, Two and Five, shared a room, and all the little kids were in a room together.

When the school year ended in July 2019, brother Four didn’t want to be involved with taking care of the younger kids, so he left. Victor’s eldest sister, One, had already moved out, and his older sister, Two, went to stay with her grandparents, leaving middle sister, Five, and Victor to care for the babies and toddlers.

“I would try to keep the kids out of trouble, but since I was not an adult, I wasn’t the best at caring for them; I would yell. I feel guilty about that,” Victor explains. “As time went on, the house was getting dirtier and dirtier. My mom wouldn’t even yell at us anymore. She was disengaged.”

Then there was the day that really changed everything.

“I slept through all the chaos,” Victor explains.

According to Victor’s sister, the houseguests got into a fight and smashed a vase outside. The neighbors called the police. “My sister woke me up and said I needed to clean because the cops were coming.” He adds, “It’s not that we were doing anything illegal, but the house was 2022 • ISSUE VII

FIVE:* GIRL -3 YEARS 15 YEARS OLD

SIX: BOY -8 YEARS 10 YEARS OLD

SEVEN: GIRL -10 YEARS 8 YEARS OLD

EIGHT: GIRL -11 YEARS 7 YEARS OLD

NINE: BOY -12 YEARS 6 YEARS OLD

TEN: GIRL -14 YEARS 4 YEARS OLD

Victor Rivera with Proteus Foster Parents Manuel and Suzy

a mess. There were clothes on the floor.

The kitchen was full of dirty dishes. I felt defeated living there,” Victor explains.

Victor’s mom wasn’t home when the police arrived. She hadn’t been home since at least the day before.

Child Protective Services (CPS) were engaged. Victor said it wasn’t the first time he and his siblings talked to CPS case workers. “My mom would coach us on what to say,” he explained. This time, she wasn’t around to coach them.

The nine siblings were placed in Foster Care. After some jostling of placements, Victor landed with his current Foster Family through Proteus. Foster parents Manuel and Suzy, along with their three kids, have provided a home for Victor for the last three years.

“They’re good foster parents. They gave me the experience I didn’t get growing up — like asking me what I did that day, asking questions about

my life, and helping me feel seen and cared about. They want to know how I am. That is the relationship I wish I had with my parents,” Victor shares.

“When I first went to foster care, I was silent. I didn’t speak. I was very meek.” Victor went into therapy and learned to speak up, “With therapy, I found my voice.”

Victor has learned through this experience not to be afraid to speak up. “Sometimes, the silence makes it harder.” •

INTERESTED IN BECOMING A FOSTER PARENT? If you believe youth need love, even when they face challenges, and are interested in foster parenting, contact Proteus at www.proteusinc.org.

Focus Forward: Stories of Hope

17

SERVICES

LOCATIONS Delano | (661) 721-5800

Resource Center • Internet Access • Fax • Resumes • Copies

Energy Savings • Edison • PG&E • The Gas Company

Rental Assistance & Food Vouchers On the Job Training & Work Experience

Dinuba | (559) 591-5701 Fresno | (559) 473-4486 Goshen | (559) 473-4490 Hanford | (559) 582-9253 Kerman | (559) 473-4489 Porterville | (559) 781-1852 Sanger | (559) 875-7146 Selma | (559) 891-0135 Visalia | (559) 627-0100 William M. Maguy | (559) 471-4550 Youth @ Work, Farmersville | (559) 972-6541 Youth @ Work, Woodlake | (559) 972-6541

Education

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• ESL • Office Skills • GED • Basic Computer • Truck Driving • Citizenship • Forklift Certificate • Energy Careers

CALL

888-776-9998

VISIT

www.ProteusInc.org

A CHILD IS

WAITING FOR YOU!

CALL NOW! (559) 499-2535 BECOME A

FOSTER PARENT

PROTEUS

INC.

. . . for Education, Employment and Community Services

FOSTER FAMILY AGENCY

Embracing Introversion

D

aniella Flores is a self-proclaimed introvert. In middle school, she struggled with the traditional norms and would prefer to stay home listening to her favorite band, Black Veil Brides, rather than go out and socialize.

“My biggest challenge has been my own brain. I’m in my head a lot. I’ve always been in my head. I isolate myself from people,” Daniella explains her thought process. “I can barely deal with the 20 things on my mind. It’s always been a juggling act.

When I recognize that something will be triggering, I think ahead about how to limit the impact. I ask myself, ‘How can I get through what I’m going through without also causing ten times more stress.’”

In eighth grade, Daniella started coming out to people as bisexual. She shares, “The first thing I did was tell my mom. I was crying. She said, ‘I know. What do you want for dinner?’” While it wasn’t a big deal to her mom, the same was not true for others. She was bullied and excluded at school. “Middle school was the worst,” Daniella recounts.

High school didn’t get any better. “The first high school I went to had a lot of homophobic teachers and administrators, so I felt it a lot. I hung out with the band kids and LGBTQIA groups in the school, and I saw how they were treated by staff and teachers. They were treated as ‘others.’

I’m not sure if they [faculty and staff] were homophobic or just didn’t know how to treat gay kids,” Daniella explains.

She asked her mom if she could enroll in an independent study program. Her mom, who wanted Daniella to improve her socialization skills, resisted. They planned that she would start the new program in her junior year if she still wanted to.

“My sophomore year, I started at a different school because of the bullying. The guidance counselor called me in to tell me that I needed to take an afterschool class to get caught up,” she says. Daniella was behind academically and not on track to graduate on time.

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Focus Forward: Stories of Hope

“The school environment just triggered me a lot. I had suicidal ideation. While talking to the counselor, I had a full-fledged emotional breakdown. It was a severe panic attack. I was hyperventilating, shaking, and crying hysterically. It was scary.

I thought I was going to pass out. Not only was it scary to me because I didn’t know what was going on with my body, but it was also scary to the counselor,” Daniella explains. According to Daniella, the school considered calling the authorities.

Instead, they made the decision to call her mom.

“After crying together and talking, she [Daniella’s mom] agreed to enroll me in homebased school,” Daniella recounts.

Daniella enrolled at Fresno EOC School of Unlimited Learning (SOUL), a Fresno Unified Charter High School. Everything changed. Daniella found the faculty and staff at SOUL to be accepting and nurturing. She would go to the campus weekly for about an hour to share homework. “I was able to get caught up with my classes and graduate on time with a really good GPA. The teachers were lifesavers.

I never had teachers who were so nice, respectful, and understanding of their students. If I was having a bad day, they would notice; they would ask. Knowing people cared was life-changing for me,” she shares.

Daniella graduated in 2016 and enrolled at Fresno City College. “Going into college made my school experience a lot more bearable. I could set my schedule and leave campus if I felt triggered. I was a psychology major. I did general ed and psychology prerequisite for transfer,” Daniella says.

In 2020, Daniella transferred to Fresno State months before the pandemic forced the transition to online learning. “I do much better when I’m in my own space and on my own time. I loved being online and doing what I needed to do when I needed to do it. I could roll out of bed, get a coffee, and listen to a lecture,” Daniella explains. Daniella graduated from Fresno State with a bachelor’s degree in Psychology.

Now 24 years old, Daniella embraces her introversion and will start Southern New Hampshire University in July 2023, studying online for a master’s degree in forensic psychology. •

2022 • ISSUE VII

“

I 100% believe transferring to SOUL saved my life.

”

— Daniella Flores

SCHOOL OF UNLIMITED LEARNING (SOUL) The mission of the SOUL Charter High School is to provide comprehensive learning experiences in a manner and environment that enables students to obtain skills, knowledge, and motivation to be self-directed, lifelong learners as they mature toward self-sufficiency.

SOUL offers a hybrid independent study program.

SOUL’s instructional staff consists of 10 fully credentialed, full-time teachers who serve an average of 200 students per semester. SOUL offers a rigorous academic, standards-based curriculum and is an excellent educational option for those seeking a small school alternative to a large, traditional high school.

STORY SPONSOR:

2022 • ISSUE VII

Focus Forward: Stories of Hope

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Starting Young & Growing Up 24

Focus Forward: Stories of Hope

my life “Iton gottrack.

It was exciting.

N

athan Blanco’s mom was 14 when he was born. His dad was 12, the same age as when Nathan started using meth.

“I didn’t know my dad was my dad was until I was four years old,” explains Nathan. “The court said that if mom didn’t name the father, she would lose her benefits.” While blood tests confirmed his father’s paternity, Nathan doesn’t feel his dad ever engaged as a parent, but his father’s mother did. At age seven, the Sanger native moved in with his grandmother.

“It was an adjustment,” Nathan explains of his tumultuous relationship with the matriarch. “She had rules that I wasn’t used to and didn’t like.”

Nathan admits it was tough not having his parents around, “I struggled with a lot of anger as a child. There was a time when my dad got his life together and wouldn’t acknowledge me. He would take care of his new kids but not me. My mom was doing drugs and was all over the place.”

The first time Nathan, who was already using meth, got into trouble with the police was at age 12. “I got into an altercation with my grandma. I was charged with assault and got probation,” he explains.

A year later, he was in trouble with the law again. He was sentenced to eight months in the Substance Abuse Unit (SAU) at juvenile hall.

“Through all that I would find excuses,” he admits. Nathan

2022 • ISSUE VII

continued to go in and out of juvenile hall for probation violations: using drugs, failing drug tests, and truancy.

Nathan counts his grandmother as his saving grace, “Luckily, I always had my grandma. She’s a wonderful woman.

God blessed me with that. She always loved me. She’s always been there.”

Nathan graduated from Alice M. Worsley High School at the juvenile detention center. Jim Yovino, Superintendent of Schools for Fresno County, attended Nathan’s graduation. “I was talking with a teacher of mine, letting him know I was looking for a job. The teacher told me to go talk to Mr. Yovino. I walked up to him and introduced myself and told him about my situation,” Nathan recants. “He told me to come by his office, so I did.”

According to Nathan, the superintendent asked him what he wanted to do. Nathan didn’t know. “Mr. Yovino mentioned a number of different ideas. One idea was working as a custodian. That one resonated with me,” remembers Nathan.

The pair didn’t talk again for a couple of weeks. Nathan would consistently contact the office every few weeks.

“He told me it was difficult to find young adults with follow through, and he appreciated that about me.”

Nathan’s grandmother thought a group home would be the next best place for him. She was right. It was the experience he needed. Nathan moved into the group home. Through the State of California’s AB 12 Kinship Guardianship Assistance Payment (Kin-GAP) Program, Nathan received help to stabilize his life. He received life coaching, learned how to budget, and got an apartment. He grew up. “It got my life on track. It was exciting. It gave me the responsibility I needed to be on my own. It gave me my freedom,” he recounts.

It gave me the responsibility I needed to be on my own.

It gave me my freedom.

”

— Nathan Blanco Nathan began his first job as a temporary custodian at the main office of Fresno County Office of Education and moved to a full-time position after about a year.

Now, six years later, Nathan is a married father of three and the area manager for Commercial Cleaning Systems.

“When I had my son, I felt that I needed to step up,” Nathan explains.

“Growing up, I saw family members who struggled being a parent. My purpose is to make sure my children have what they need. Caring for my kids is my responsibility.” Nathan adds, “I’m always learning being a father.” •

DID YOU KNOW? Fresno County Superintendent of Schools operates the Court School educational program.

Every pupil in the Court School program receives education through FCSS. Any pupil who was enrolled in the Court School program is eligible to apply for an annually renewable Court School PTA Scholarship to be applied to college or vocational institution.

Focus Forward: Stories of Hope

25

we believe every student can thrive!

Every day, the Office of the Fresno County Superintendent of Schools works to positively impact the lives of more than 200,000 Valley children we serve. We believe that every child, no matter his or her circumstances and abilities, must have access to a quality education in order to thrive. Through our departments and services, we support programs such as Special Education, Migrant Education, Court and Community Schools and school district financial and educational services with a special focus on these fundamental areas: Career technical education – Allowing students to explore their interests and develop careers skills, while reinforcing their academics, creates a workforce ready to enter the trade jobs that are essential to our community’s success.

Arts – The arts bring joy and creativity to our schools while at the same time requiring rigorous practice, close attention to detail and critical thinking skills.

Poverty – School children cannot prosper in an environment lacking food, shelter and stability. We support community programs and partnerships to decrease the poverty rate in our county.

Intervention – Our schools need active involvement of parents, local businesses, community leaders and citizens to succeed.

Participation in the education process from mentoring to sponsorship of programs is the precursor to positive change.

Civility – Teaching our students to be givers instead of takers is the foundation to build true leaders who respect their neighbors, their community and their country.

Homelessness – Homelessness and poverty go hand-in-hand.

Education is the great equalizer with which we must provide every student in the county.

Early education – Children need access to educational opportunities and school readiness programs before kindergarten to give them a foundation for a lifetime of success.

Changing lives – one future at a time! www.fcoe.org

Follow FCSS on

“I believe we can all make a positive difference in the lives of our children, not only through education, but in a shared interest in the well-being of others.”

Jim A. Yovino Fresno County Superintendent of Schools

three-year-old Donell Denton was at his auntie’s house when he first saw drugs, “There was white stuff on the table.

I walked into the room. My mom got mad at me and said, ‘Don’t come in here. Grown-ups are doing their business.’” That same year, he went to Foster Care for the first time.

Born in Hayward and raised in Fresno, Donell is one of nine brothers and sisters. “My mom and her ex-husband were on drugs real bad,” he explains.

When Donell was eight years old, his mom went to a drug treatment program and got sober. “I stayed with her for about six months. Then her mom died, and she relapsed. I went back to Foster Care until I was about 11 years old. Selma, Kerman, Clovis, Fresno — I probably had about 15–20 different foster homes,” Donell recounts.

Even after reuniting with his mom, there were struggles. Donell says, “She would leave for days on end.

We would steal from the corner store to have something to eat.”

At 15, Donell was arrested for robbery and again at 17. He was sent to the Fresno County Juvenile Justice Campus, where he met a member of the Focus Forward team who explained their Planned Re-Entry Program (PREP).

Already a father, Donell was intrigued by what the organization had to offer.

“Focus Forward helped me with graduation and parenting classes,” he shares. “They put me in a different environment, a positive environment.

People cared. They taught me ways to do stuff without being a criminal.”

28

Focus Forward: Stories of Hope

“I first met Donell when he was out of custody and was looking for housing,” says Maria Martin, Volunteer Coordinator from Focus Forward. “He arrived at our office not having a place to go; he had been couch-surfing with friends but didn’t have a stable home environment or a place where he could visit with his daughters.

He was hungry. We ordered pizza and talked about how things were going.”

personal care, health care, cooking, nutrition, and money management.

Maria and the Focus Forward team connected Donell with resources and eventually found him a spot at VTR | Valley Teen Ranch’s Transitional Living Program. “It took about a week or two to find a solution,” Maria says. During that time, Donell would visit the office with his younger daughter, two-year-old Nylah.

“We provided a place for them to hang out and a place to play,” remembers Maria.

Maria is proud of Donell’s growth.

“Donell went from Foster Care to incarceration to being adult age without having guidance on how to be an adult,” she shares. At TLH, he is getting the mentorship he needs and desires.

On November 22, 2019, Donell moved into the VTR | Valley Teen Ranch Transitional Living Home (TLH), which provides housing and supportive services for males, ages 18–24 years old, who are experiencing homelessness or transitioning from a residential or correctional facility.

Andrea Evans, VTR | Valley Teen Ranch CEO, shares, “The program’s goal is to transition these young men to live independently in permanent housing — making goals together with them for their lives. Do you want to graduate from high school? Do you want to go to college? Do you want to go to a vocational school? Are you looking for a job? We’re there to support their goals.”

Andrea adds, “Many of our kids have very untrusting relationships with adults.

We are working on repairing that.”

Mentorship and relationship-building are the foundation of the TLH program, which provides ongoing education in independent living skills, including

On moving day, Donell arrived at the Focus Forward offices with all his belongings in one backpack and one duffle bag. Maria hired a taxi to take them to TLH. Upon arrival, an emotional Donell declared, “I’m home.”

Since arriving at TLH, Donell’s mentor has been Joseph G. Evans III, Program Coordinator, who Donell credits for indelibly impacting his life for the better. Joseph shares, “Donell wants something bigger than just being; he wants to have an impact on others and be a positive role model for those that have had a similar upbringing to his. He has become a leader in our program. He leads not only by words but, more importantly, by his actions.”

According to Joseph, Donell has taken steps to halt a negative cycle that has plagued his family. “He wants to show his siblings, his children, friends, and all he comes in contact with that there is a different path. And not selfishly, but heroically, he wants to be the one who lays it out.” •

ft$

@fresnohousing 2022 • ISSUE VII

has become a leader “[Donell] in He leads notouronlyprogram. by words but, more importantly, by his actions. ”

—Joseph G. Evans III Program Coordinator VTR | Valley Teen Ranch Transitional Living Program

2022 • ISSUE VII

Focus Forward: Stories of Hope

29

We’re building more than housing.

We’re building to higher standards.

Wisdom & Advocacy

“Z

ofia” is a Slavic name meaning wisdom. The name was bestowed upon Zofia Trexler by her mother, an immigrant from Poland. Zofia has lived up to her moniker. She is a recent graduate from Fresno City College who will be transferring to Stanford in the fall.

In high school, she began having anxiety attacks. “My mental health was terrible throughout high school. I was having anxiety attacks every day,” Zofia recounts. She started attending therapy, but she continued to struggle with her mental health. After a suicide attempt in her freshman year, her academic performance began to decline.

When high school ended, Zofia knew she wasn’t ready to attend a four-year university. “It was hard to see everyone around me applying to college and being excited for the next phase of their lives when I was in the middle of rebuilding mine,” she shares. “I felt like the chance to succeed was taken from me by something I couldn’t control.”

Zofia knew that attending a community college would put her on the path to transfer to a four-year university, so she enrolled at Fresno City College in the law pathway. She didn’t anticipate the support and encouragement from her instructors and counselors. “I felt empowered to achieve my goals,” she says.

32

Focus Forward: Stories of Hope

Throughout her time at Fresno City College, Zofia received straight A’s. “It was validating to me. I knew if I were in an environment that was supportive of my success, I would succeed in the ways I always knew I could.” In addition, community college allowed her to focus on improving her mental health.

In 2020, Zofia joined the California Youth Empowerment Network (CAYEN), a youth-led advocacy board devoted to advocating for and uplifting the voices of transitional age youth — young people ages 16–24.

“My law instructor, Logan Tennerelli, nominated me for The Ruthe C. Ashley Award for students who have overcome hardships and demonstrated goals to give back to their community in the area of law.” Zofia received the award and a $1,000 scholarship in February of 2022. Her demonstrated community service is extensive, from sitting on the advisory board for Fresnoland to volunteering with Fresno Needle Exchange. Zofia is also spending a year as a YO! Disabled and Proud Volunteer Corps Member for the California Foundation for Independent Living Centers. Zofia currently serves on the California Health & Human Services Agency’s Children and Youth Behavioral Health Initiative (CYBHI) Equity Working Group.

mandated all students in California K-12 public schools to receive ageappropriate mental health education.

Advocacy proved to be her calling.

“I found a purpose for the rest of my life: to go into law and advocate for people with mental health disabilities through policy and systems change.”

One of seven students, she was awarded the Dean’s Medallion of Excellence Award for the Social Sciences Division in May 2022.

Zofia graduated from Fresno City College with a 4.0 GPA and three Associate in Arts degrees — Political Science, Global Studies, and Law, Public Policy, and Society.

“This spring, I looked back at what I had accomplished; I applied to UCs and thought, ‘What if I apply to some of the private schools that when I was in high school, I didn’t think I would ever have shot at?’” Zofia shares.

Currently, Zofia is a Peer Self Advocacy Trainer for Disability Rights California, where she creates and presents materials about rights, services, and supports to transitional-age youth with mental health disabilities. She’s excited about attending Stanford and will study Urban Studies and Human Rights. Zofia plans to keep pushing toward policy change that will improve the lives of people with mental health disabilities. •

Zofia also served on the coalition for SB 224. She testified in support of the senate bill, which would have 2022 • ISSUE VII

City “ Fresno College has

given me so many opportunities for personal growth.

”

— Zofia Trexler

2022 • ISSUE VII

Focus Forward: Stories of Hope

33

Fresno City College Fresno City College Fresno City College Fresno City College

SPECIAL PROGRAMS LEAD TO STUDENT SUCCESS SPECIAL PROGRAMS LEAD SPECIAL PROGRAMS LEAD SPECIAL PROGRAMS LEAD TO STUDENT SUCCESS TO STUDENT SUCCESS SPECIAL PROGRAMS LE TO STUDENT SUCCESS TO STUDENT SUCCES

CalWORKs – A partnership between the college and Fresno County Department of Social Services to provide educational services to people on cash aid who qualify for the CalWORKs program.

DREAM CENTER – The Dream Center provides information and academic counseling to new and continuing undocumented DREAM – The Dream Centerinformation provides information andcounseling academic counseling new and continuing undocume DREAM CENTER –CENTER The Dream Center provides and academic to new andtocontinuing undocumentstudents at Fresno City College. at Fresno City College. ed studentsedatstudents Fresno City College.

DSP&S (DISABLED STUDENTS PROGRAMS AND SERVICES) – Creates an accessible, inclusive campus environment to empower DREAM CENTER – PROGRAMS The Dream PROGRAMS Center provides information academic counseling to new and continuing undocumentDSP&S (DISABLED STUDENTS –and Creates an accessible, inclusive campus to empow DSP&S STUDENTS AND SERVICES) –SERVICES) Creates an accessible, inclusive environment to empower students(DISABLED with disabilities and provide them access toAND pursue their academic, personal, and campus vocational goals. environment ed students at Fresno City College.

DREAM CENTER – The Dream Center provides information and academic counseling to new and continuin students with disabilities and provide them access to pursue their academic, personal, and vocational goals. students with disabilities and provide them access to pursue their academic, personal, and vocational goals. ed students at Fresno City College.

EOPS (EXTENDED OPPORTUNITIES PROGRAMS AND SERVICES) – Offers personalized academic counseling and advising as well as DSP&S (DISABLED STUDENTS PROGRAMS AND SERVICES) – Creates an accessible, inclusive campuscounseling environment to advising empoweras w EOPS (EXTENDED OPPORTUNITIES AND–STUDENTS SERVICES) – Offers personalized academic and EOPS (EXTENDED OPPORTUNITIES PROGRAMSPROGRAMS AND SERVICES) Offers personalized counseling and advising well environm financial assistance to qualified students.

DSP&S (DISABLED PROGRAMS ANDacademic SERVICES) – and Creates an accessible, inclusive as campus students with disabilities and provide them access to pursue their academic, personal, vocational goals. financial to assistance qualified students. as financialas assistance qualifiedtostudents. students with disabilities and provide them access to pursue their academic, personal, and vocational goals.

CARE (COOPERATIVE AGENCIES RESOURCES FOR EDUCATION) Provides counseling and financial resources for single EOPS(COOPERATIVE (EXTENDED OPPORTUNITIES PROGRAMS AND SERVICES) –––Offers personalized academic counseling and advising as well CARE (COOPERATIVE AGENCIES FOR EDUCATION) –counseling Provides counseling andresources financial resources for and sing CARE AGENCIES RESOURCES FOR EDUCATION) Provides and– financial for single EOPSRESOURCES (EXTENDED OPPORTUNITIES PROGRAMS AND SERVICES) Offers personalized academic counseling parents currently receiving CalWORKs, cash aid, general relief, or TANF. as financial assistance to qualified students. as financial assistance to qualified students. parents currently receiving CalWORKs, cash aid, general relief, or TANF. parents currently receiving CalWORKs, cash aid, general relief, or TANF.

CARE (COOPERATIVE AGENCIES RESOURCES FOR EDUCATION) Provides counseling (COOPERATIVE AGENCIES RESOURCES FORformer EDUCATION) –youth.

Provides and–financial resourcesand forfinancial single reso –support Provides support services for current and/or former fostercounseling youth.

NEXTUP CARE Provides services for current and/or former foster youth.

NEXTUP ––NEXTUP Provides support services for current and/or foster parents receiving CalWORKs, cash aid, general relief, or TANF. parents currently receiving CalWORKs, cashcurrently aid, general relief, or TANF. NEXTUP – Provides support services for current and/or former foster youth.

NEXTUP – Provides support services for current and/or former foster youth.

fresnocitycollege.edu

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Your Future Starts Here Your Future Starts Here Your Future Starts Here Your Future Starts Here

PUENTE – A statewide program which helps prepare Latino students – A program statewidewhich program which helps prepare Latinoto PUENTE –PUENTE A statewide helps prepare Latino students tostudent transfer to transfer four-yeartocolleges and universities, earn their degrees and return and re four-year colleges and universities, earn their degrees transfer to four-year colleges and universities, earn their degrees and return to the community as leaders and mentors to future generations. to the community as leaders and to future generations. to the community as leaders and mentors tomentors future generations.

RAIN (RESOURCES FOR AMERICAN INDIAN NEEDS) – Designed to promote, PUENTE – A statewide program prepare Latino –students to to prom RAIN (RESOURCES FOR which AMERICAN INDIAN NEEDS) Designed RAIN (RESOURCES FOR AMERICAN INDIANhelps NEEDS) – Designed to promote, inspire and guide American Indian and Indgenous students upon entry, transfer to four-year colleges and universities, earn their degrees and return and guideIndian American and Indgenous students inspire andinspire guide American and Indian Indgenous students upon entry,upon du- entry, duration, and completion of their academic to theand community as leaders and mentors to goals. future generations. ration, and completion of theirgoals. academic goals. ration, completion of their academic

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The Journey Towards

Medical School:

Overcoming cultural disconnections

I

f you had told Andrew Contreras at a young age that he would be in medical school, he would never have believed you. “I was a decent student who was unmotivated in school,” recounts Andrew, a medical student at the University of California, San Francisco.

Born in Los Angeles to Mexican immigrant parents, his parents separated soon after his arrival. When Andrew was three years old and his older brother was seven, their mom moved the trio to Madera in search of better job opportunities.

Cultural disconnect in medicine

“My mom speaks basic English. I went with her to her doctor appointments to translate,” Andrew says. A common responsibility for children of immigrants. “She had a distrust of the medical system. There was a disconnect between her cultural background and western medicine.”

Additionally, the healthcare providers didn’t understand the cultural queues she displayed. Andrew’s mom felt uncomfortable at the doctor’s office. Her negative feelings towards doctors turned into a threat leveraged against her sons. She would say, “If you don’t behave, you’ll go to the doctor to get an injection.”

Instead, Andrew’s mom purchased herbal medicines from flea markets and found medical refuge among cultural healers within her religious community.

“The first time I remember going to a cultural healer was in fifth grade,” remembers Andrew. He describes the experience as being different than the 36

Focus Forward: Stories of Hope

brightly lit doctor’s office, where upon entry, visitors are greeted with the smell of lavender disinfectant, friendly staff members, and Drew Carry’s familiar face on the lobby’s TV displaying “The Price is Right.”

In contrast, the cultural healer’s space was dark with a sense of ominous reverence and an intense aroma of sage. The room was decorated with an abundance of burning candles, crucifixes, and statues of Nuestra Señora de la Santa Muerte (Our Lady of our Holy Death), associated with healing, protection, and safe delivery to the afterlife.

Andrew, his mother, and the female healer sat around a small table with a solid black tablecloth. A tall candle stick, a cup of water, and an egg were on the table. “She [the healer] stood up. She grabbed my hand, looked at me, and instructed me to do a prayer,” Andrew remembers.

“Then she vigorously rubbed the egg over my neck, torso, and legs before cracking the egg open inside the cup and interpreting what it meant for my soul.”

Finding educational connection

support “ The that I had

“Growing up, there was an expectation of going to school and doing well but not a lot of examples of how to do that. It wasn’t until I had a girlfriend in my sophomore year, one of the top ten students in the class, that I started to care. I realized that when I paid — Andrew Contreras attention, I understood what was happening.

I thought, ‘If she can get good grades and excel, then I can too,’” Andrew shares.

at MCC was amazing. I had a lot of resources and liked the small class sizes.

”

After high school, Andrew wanted to attend California State University, Long Beach as a business major; however, he was initially denied.

Motivated by the rejection, he enrolled at Madera Community College (MCC) with the goal of graduating in one year. Andrew 2022 • ISSUE VII

accomplished his goal while receiving nearly perfect A grades. “Throughout that time, I was part of the TRIO program, which was a great support,” he shares. The TRIO program is a federally funded program that serves and assists low-income individuals, first-generation college students, and individuals with disabilities.

While attending MCC, Andrew worked the late-night shift (10:00 p.m.–6:00 a.m.) at IHOP and worked on weekdays at the TRIO program on campus. He graduated from MCC in 2017 with honors.

Connecting to purpose

Andrew again applied to CSU Long Beach; this time, he was accepted.

During the college orientation, he felt out of place, “I felt that this wasn’t my true purpose. While I wanted to be at this school, a voice inside me said this wasn’t right for me.”

He reached out to his favorite MCC academic counselor and mentor, Luis Morales. “I told him that I wanted to go to medical school.” Together, they came up with a plan. Within days, Andrew was back at MCC studying biology — fueled by purpose and passion. After earning an associate degree in biology from MCC, Andrew studied at Fresno State, receiving a degree in biology with two minors — physical science and sociology.

Now a medical student and part of the SJV-PRIME cohort at the University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine, Andrew will receive half of his medical education in San Francisco and the other half in the Central Valley.

As a doctor, Andrew wants to bridge traditional beliefs with western medicine to help his community overcome the cultural disconnect for better health outcomes. •

COMMUNITY COLLEGE Focus Forward: Stories of Hope

37

“

I want to become a juvenile probation officer. As the first in my family to go to college, I had to figure everything out on my own, including bus transportation to class. I am grateful to Madera Community College for supporting me every step of the way.

“

Karime, Class of 2022

Your Future Starts Here People with a college degree earn a higher income on average.

Don’t wait any longer to change your life.

Do it for your family.

Do it for you.

Madera Community College offers special support programs for: • First-generation college students • Students from a low-income background • Foster youth • Undocumented students • Veterans • Students with a disability • Student from a farm working background • and more

Everything You Need to Succeed

Programs are built with regional jobs in mind. Choose from Madera and Oakhurst campus locations. Check-out laptops and Wi-Fi hotspots for free.

Apply for free financial aid to cover fees, textbooks, transportation, utilities, and more. Many students qualify for free tuition.

Get the support you need to succeed. Services include tutoring, career support, academic counseling, and more

COMMUNITY COLLEGE maderacollege.edu

(559) 675-4839

outreach@maderacollege.edu

Partnerships Serving Youth:

Fresno County & Focus Forward

Celebrating student graduation CANS meeting

40

I

n addition to being responsible for the safety and security of young people detained at the Juvenile Justice Campus (JJC), the Fresno County Probation Department delivers rehabilitative programs and services. Since 2006, Focus Forward has been a partner in providing critical programming for youth.

Secure Youth Treatment Facility and Cultivating Healthy Choices & Independence

On July 1, 2021, Senate Bill 823 took effect, transferring the responsibility of care, custody, and supervision of youth, up to the age of 25, from the state to local jurisdictions.

The established partnership between Focus Forward and Fresno County Probation bridged programming with evidence-based and promising strength-based practices to assist this new population of youth, their families, and communities.

Fresno County Juvenile Justice Campus

Services for a successful transition The Fresno County Probation Juvenile Justice Campus (JJC) and Focus Forward continue collaborative efforts to ensure each youth in custody

is afforded the necessary services for a successful transition to the community and their families.

Our partnership delivers services enhanced with guidance from the University of Cincinnati — focusing on increasing evidence-based practice programming available at the JJC. Our efforts include providing additional cognitive behavior interventions and social skills to help reduce recidivism and targeting criminogenic needs with the shared goal of improving outcomes for youth in our care.

To better understand the youth at JJC, our team uses two assessment tools to identify and guide the delivery of program services. The first tool is The PACT or Positive Achievement Change Tool. The second tool is a Biopsychosocial Assessment focused on targeted areas such as the use of free time, criminal history, academic education, life skills, relationships, and workforce.

Together, Focus Forward and Fresno County Probation strive for excellence in supporting and helping youth grow and lead healthy, responsible, and caring lives.

Celebrating and promoting positive reinforcement Both agencies not only provide cognitive change tools and need-based responsivity to the youth, but they also celebrate and promote positive reinforcement throughout the pandemic.

• Focus Forward and JJC delivered essential services and assistance to the youth in our care. In the past year, the agencies collaborated to assist two youths in the Assembly Bill 12 re-entry program by setting up a supply drive for their transition to the community.

“

• During the pandemic, three youths graduated with their high school diplomas. To celebrate the accomplishments of these youth, Focus Forward and JJC hosted a graduation ceremony to demonstrate our pride in the youths’ success.

Success is best when it’s shared.

”

-Howard Schultz Starbucks CEO

• The two agencies have further assisted in-custody youth with obtaining their Real California ID and opening bank accounts, preparing them for a successful future in the community.

Fresno County Probation Placement Unit

In partnership with the Fresno County Probation Department, Focus Forward coordinates services to youth and their families to remove barriers for youth to work toward reunification and identification of permanent connections for youth in care. Probation and Focus Forward Social Workers work harmoniously to improve outcomes.

Focus Forward Placement Social Workers coordinate and facilitate Child Family Team (CFT) meetings for youth in placement (part of the juvenile justice and foster care system). The CFTs are conducted virtually or in person and work toward identifying potential placements for youth, building upon the youth’s strengths. Ensuring family and support system participation is one of the primary goals of these meetings.

Probation and Focus Forward meet collaboratively to conduct Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths (CANS) assessments on youth that have been ordered into out-of-home placement.

This assessment is part of the foundation for the youth’s case plan and services, as it helps identify needs and strengths.

The report is shared with the youth and family once complete.

As probation youth graduate from high school, Focus Forward and Probation work together to celebrate the youth’s success. Each year, the youth are identified and presented with a gift basket after their graduation ceremony.

Focus Forward and Probation help the youth receive positive reinforcement for their positive behavior. •

• On Mother’s Day, Focus Forward and Probation staff visited some of the homes of parents of youth at JJC to deliver a self-care basket and a personal invitation to Family Sessions, visits to maintain and strengthen the family relationships.

Focus Forward: Stories of Hope

41

Your locally trusted partner dedicated to improving the financial strength of every member.

Empowering Youth & Families

At Focus Forward, we provide programs and services to support young people impacted by the juvenile justice and child welfare systems.

With your support, we can help youth and families end cycles of violence, poverty and incarceration, and improve health, safety and stability in our community.

Focus Forward is a 501c3 nonprofit organization.

To help us continue these critical services for our community, visit focusforward.org and donate today.

A gift of any size makes a difference.

“PG&E” refers to Pacific Gas and Electric Company, a subsidiary of PG&E Corporation. © 2019 Pacific Gas and Electric Company. All rights reserved.

Partners energize each other’s efforts to achieve common goals. That’s why PG&E actively reaches out to local business in the community. We believe it’s just as important to bring energy to a community through our partnerships as it is through our power lines.

“PG&E” refers to Pacific Gas and Electric Company, a“PG&E” subsidiary refers of PG&E to Pacific Corporation.

Gas and Electric © 2019 Pacific Company, Gasaand subsidiary ElectricofCompany.

PG&E Corporation.

All rights reserved. © 2019 Pacific Gas and Electric Company. All rights reserved.

Local Localbusiness business partnerships partnerships Bringing Bringingenergy energytoto our ourcommunity community Local business Partners energize each other’s efforts to to Partners energize each other’s efforts partnerships achieve common goals.

That’s whywhy PG&E achieve common goals.

That’s PG&E actively reaches out out to local business in the actively reaches to local business in the Bringing energy to community.

We We believe it’s just as important community. believe it’s just as important to bring energy to ato community through ourour to bring energy a community through our community partnerships as itasisitthrough ourour power lines. partnerships is through power lines.

CalViva Health is pleased to congratulate Focus Forward for the meaningful work you do in our communities.

Keep Your Baby Sleeping Safe and Comfortable.

Help reduce sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) in Fresno.

Download safe sleep guidelines and resources at sleepsafebaby.com.

Magazine Launch Party OCTOBER 26, 2022

Thanks to our amazing partners for making this year’s party possible.

BEVERAGES BY

PepsiCo WINE BY

E&J Gallo Winery VENUE BY

Nexstar Broadcasting Group (KSEE24/CBS47) & Roger Rocka’s Dinner Theater PHOTOGRAPHY BY

InPower Marketing MASTER OF CEREMONY BY

Nexstar Broadcasting Group (KSEE24/CBS47) DJ SERVICES BY

Mark Lozada

ENTERTAINMENT BY

Ballet Folklorico & Marimba de Fresno MAGAZINE PRINTING BY

H. Markus & Co.

BECOME A MENTOR

FIND YOUR SKILLS AS A SHEET METAL WORKER www.smw104.org | @smwlocal104

SKILLED IN THE TRADE — ALWAYS UNION MADE Sheet Metal Workers’ Local Union No. 104 is the Northern California leader in the fields of: Decorative & Architectural Sheet Metal; Metal Roofs; Heating, Ventilating, and Air Conditioning; and Indoor Environmental Quality designed, built, maintained, and serviced to Sustainable Green Building Standards.

Focus Forward’s Mentor program averages 25 volunteer mentors every year.

We are looking for committed volunteers who can guide and support our youth and families on their pathway to success.

“

I believe that this population needs dedicated and passionate people working alongside youth and families to help them achieve their goals and work towards brighter futures.

”

— KARI MAGARITY FOCUS FORWARD MENTOR

FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT:

focusforward.org/volunteer

FACT was established in 2003 to increase awareness of our long-standing and community oriented Fresno Area Contractors and their skilled craftspeople in the Sheet Metal, Electrical, Plumbing, Piping, Air Conditioning/Refrigeration and Insulation trades.

Our employees live in the Fresno Area and are provided Health Care and Pension Benefits. We have Self-Funded Health Care and Retirement benefit programs which do not burden public benefit systems.

We have supported School Board Measures in Fresno, Clovis, Sanger, Parlier, Madera, Kings Canyon and the State Center Community College District.

We have invested millions of dollars training Apprentices. These dedicated workers, over a 5 year period, learn a skilled craft and are provided a job. They graduate without a student loan debt.

We promote and actively participate in the increased efforts in Career Technical Education. Through the Helmet to Hardhats Program, veterans are given the utmost priority for career opportunities.

We actively support Fresno organizations such as the Fresno Rescue Mission, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, Rescue the Children, Marjaree Mason Center, CASA and Central California Food Bank.

Check us out at: www.fresnofact.com