Chris Rivera struggled in high school and couldn’t pass the required reading FCAT. Because of that, he didn’t receive the standard high school diploma. Without a diploma, he went right to work in construction. His mother never stopped encouraging him to get his GED though. She knew the future would be challenging if he didn’t get to earn his GED and she wanted better for him.
She learned about the YouthBuild project at Valencia College. Chris eventually entered the program at Valencia College and earned his diploma while he learned construction skills. With our assistance, he entered and took a series of welding classes at Valencia’s Advanced Manufacturing Training Center exceling at them. His self-confidence and enthusiasm rose. He is now working for Mitsubishi Power Systems in Orlando!
