“YouthBuild has shown me that I can do it. I can put just as much work as men do and I belong construction.”
Before YouthBuild, Amerique describes herself as “just a mom of two with no high school diploma and no plan.”
At 17, after moving to Seattle, Amerique enrolled in high school but learned from her counselor it could take at least two years to graduate. Then she discovered YouthCare’s YouthBuild program, a six-month path to earning her GED while gaining hands-on construction skills and earning industry certifications.
The construction component immediately caught Amerique’s attention.
“I like to work with my hands, I like to build things,” she says. “I want to be able to leave work and be able to say, ‘I built that’ and be proud of what I do.”
During YouthBuild, Amerique has built shelves, decks, and birdhouses while developing her construction skills and gaining certifications. She has also stepped outside of her comfort zone, made friends, and gained confidence in an industry where she once worried she might not belong.
“Being a woman in a ‘man’s’ field can feel scary sometimes,” she says. “YouthBuild has shown me that I can do it. I can put just as much work as men do and I belong in the construction industry.”
A teacher who sees potential
Amerique credits her construction teacher, Terry, with helping her grow.
“Terry has pushed me to be on time every day and to know more about construction,” she says. “Terry gives tough love and pushes us to be our best.” She describes him as a gardener who plants seeds in his students and wants to see his garden bloom. “His guidance has given me job skills and made me more confident in who I am.”
That confidence is helping Amerique look toward what comes next.
A fresh start and a reason for hope
Amerique knows her journey is still unfolding, but YouthBuild has given her more than construction skills – it has given her the opportunity to imagine a different future and the confidence to pursue it.
She hopes other young people can find that same opportunity. “Don’t block your blessings,” she says. “The help is here and it’s sitting right in front of you.”
After graduating from YouthBuild, participants can move into union careers and job placements that offer significantly higher wages than the opportunities available to them before the program. For Amerique, the goal is to become a carpenter and eventually start her own construction business.
Her ambitions are rooted in her children and the future she wants to create for them. “I want to build my own house for my family and provide a stable place for my kids to grow up.”
Today, Amerique is building more than shelves and decks. She is building skills, confidence, and a future for herself and her children. And she wants other young people to know that support is available.
To YouthCare supporters, Amerique offers her gratitude: “I really appreciate your support and how it lets young people like me have a fresh start and gives them hope for their lives.”
