Pivotal x Youth Today Internship Feature

BySt el lSi mont on

Pos t edonJanuar y1 9 ,2021

Cal i f or ni aNonpr ofitCal l sonCompani est o O erFos t erYout hI nt er nshi ps I n2020,T om Fandr ehadhopedt opl aceatl eas t90f os t eryout hi ni nt er ns hi psi nt heSi l i conVal l ey ar ea.

Butwhent hepandemi chi t ,hi sSanJos e,Cal i f or ni abas ednonpr ofitf oundi tnear l yi mpos s i bl e. “ Somebus i nes s eswer ecompl et el yont hei rheel s , ”Fandr es ai d.“ Theyhadt ol aypeopl eo or r eal l yt r i aget os uppor tt hei rempl oyeesanddier ents t ak ehol der s .Theyj us tdi dn’ thav et he bandwi dt hatal l . ” Fandr e,t hebus i nes sdev el opmentmanagerofPi v ot al ,whi chwor k swi t hhi ghs chool and col l egeagef os t eryout hi nCal i f or ni a’ sSanMat eoandSant aCl ar acount i es ,f oundi nt er ns hi psf or onl y1 7s t udent s .

AGl as s doors ur v eyi nMayf oundt hat hal ft hei nt er ns hi pspos t edoni t ss i t ehad dr i edup.

NowFandr ei sr eadyt or ampbackupf or i nt er ns hi pst hi ss ummer .Hebel i ev es pr ov i di ngoppor t uni t i est of os t eryout hi s cr i t i cal .

They’ r et heyoungpeopl emos tatr i s kof “ f al l i ngt hr ought hecr ack s , ”hes ai d. “ They’ r enotget t i ngacces s ,t hey’ r enot get t i ngoppor t uni t y,andt hei rr es umes ar enotget t i ngt heki ndofl ookand cons i der at i ont hatyout hwhoar er ai s ed i ns t abl ehomes . ” Fandr emi ghtnotputi tt hi sway,butt he ques t i onpr es ent si t s el f :I fSi l i conVal l ey can’ thel pf os t eryout hgetal egup,who can?

Anei ght years t udyoff os t eryout h,t he Cal i f or ni aY out hT r ans i t i onst oAdul t hood St udy,s howedgl ar i nggapsi nyout h pr epar at i onf oradul t hood,par t i cul ar l yi n ar easofbas i cs ur v i v al ,s uchashous i ng, j obsandfinanci al l i t er acy.

Summeri nt er ns hi psar r angedbyPi v ot alpr ov i deoppor t uni t i es t oyoungpeopl ewhohav ebeeni nt hef os t ercar es ys t em.

Ti mmyGol ds ber r y( l ef t )i nt er nedi nSymant ec ’ saccount i ng depar t menti n201 9 .T om Fandr e,t hebus i nes sdev el opment managerofPi v ot al ,i st ohi sr i ght .

Fi gur ess howt hatatage1 9 ,onet hi r doff or merf os t erki dsar ehomel es s .

Atage23,41 % off or merf os t eryout hdonothav ej obs .

Thos ewhobecomecons i s t ent l yempl oyedandgetpai dneart henat i onal av er agear et hos ewho hadaj obi nt hehi ghs chool year s ,accor di ngt oPi v ot al .

Theor gani z at i onas s es s est heneedsoft heyoungpeopl ei ts er v esandus escoachest r ai nedi n mot i v at i onal i nt er v i ewi ngt owor kwi t ht hem.Coachesar eal s ov er s edi nt hei mpact soft r auma, s i ncet hel i f eex per i encesoff os t erki dshav eof t enbeent r aumat i candmanyhav ement al heal t h needs .

Thecoachess uppor tyout hi nbot hhi ghs chool andcol l ege. “ It hi nkt hati soneoft hecr i t i cal t hi ngsf orf os t eryout h— t ohav eoneononement or i ng,t ut or i ng andr el at i ons hi pbui l di ng, ”Fandr es ai d.

Theor gani z at i onal s oconnect syoungpeopl ewi t hcommuni t ys er v i cesandacademi ct ut or i ngand s uppor t senr i chmentandl eader s hi pdev el opmentact i v i t i es .

L as tyeari tpr ov i ded$47 8, 61 7i ncol l eges chol ar s hi ps ,accor di ngt oi t sannual r epor t .

OnePi v ot al s t udent ,JohnnyGol ds ber r y,now23,hadt hr ees ummeri nt er ns hi psbegi nni ngwhenhe wasi nhi ghs chool ,Fandr es ai d.Hewentont oSant aCl ar aUni v er s i t yt os t udymechani cal engi neer i ng.L as ts ummerheappl i edf orani nt er ns hi pwi t hQuant umScape,at echcompany pr oduci ngl i t hi umi onbat t er i esf orel ect r i ccar s .

Al t houghhedi dn’ tgett hei nt er ns hi p,hewasabl et oi nt er nwi t hSi l i conVal l eyL eader s hi pGr oup,a nonpr ofitgr oupoft echbus i nes sl eader s .L at erhewaso er edapar t t i mej obwi t hQuant umScape t hatr ecent l ybecamef ul l t i me,Fandr es ai d.

Butt hepandemi chashi tmanyf os t eryout hhar d. “ Now’ st het i met ohel pouryout ht hatar es t r uggl i ng, ”hes ai d.“ They’ r et heonest hatget di s l ocat edandl etgooft hei rpar t t i mej obsqui ck ert hananyone. ”