I've been with Isles for 15 years now. When I first learned about Isles and its approach to fostering self-reliance, I felt that it was something I really believed in and could get behind.

I started out with YouthBuild, mentoring and training students, something I still care a lot about. In 2008, Isles created a new green job training center for underemployed adults. That excited me because it was keeping up with what was going on around us in the green energy and environmental field. Isles saw how my skill sets aligned with that effort, so I began training to become a Training Manager at CEET. 

The Center for Energy an Environmental Training (CEET) does great work! We train unemployed adults, help them get hired, and then later down the line, we often see them return in a company car, on the company's dime to get more training and certifications. They're valuable employees and their workplaces want to continue to invest in them. It's amazing to be a part of that cycle.

I'm able to grow and try different things at Isles because it does so many things. While I'm part of CEET now, I go downstairs often to interact with the youth. I tell them about what I do now, try to gauge their interest so I can see if this is something they might want to join. I look at them, their hardships and obstacles, and I'm reminded of my past; I want them to see where I am now, so they can see what their future could look like.