Road Less Traveled: YouthBuild Newark alumni details impact of Newark-based program

Once a YouthBuild student, always a YouthBuild student—from graduation and beyond. 

For Damien Garris, YouthBuild Newark (YBN) felt like more than just a place he went to every day—to him, it was more like a family. To this day, whenever he sees one of his fellow alumni, they shout to each other, “YouthBuild” as an acknowledgment of the bond that's shared amongst YBN students and alumni.  

Founded in 2002, YBN is a comprehensive youth and community development program that offers previously disconnected young people ages 16-to-24 the opportunity to earn their high school diploma and industry-recognized credentials while gaining hands-on job training. The program addresses the core issues facing low-income communities—education, housing, employment, crime prevention and leadership development. 

Before enrolling in YBN, Damien was a self-described hardheaded high school student and was dealing with a difficult environment - specifically, a high level of gang activity in this community. And although he had a strong desire to do something meaningful with his life, he occasionally got into trouble. However, his biggest mistake ended up being his catalyst on the road to transformation. 

“I got caught smoking weed in school and they told me that I had to complete a drug program in order to graduate. After I completed the program, and I graduated, at that moment I knew I needed to do something with my life…God gave me a chance that day. I could’ve gotten kicked out. I saw the pain on my mother’s face and I told myself, ‘Nah, man. You're going down the wrong path.’”

Reality hit him hard while completing the drug program. Garris was going down a path that was not meant for him and he knew he needed to pivot to get on the right one. To Garris, YouthBuild sounded like a good place to start. 

He found out about YouthBuild Newark from a friend that was attending the program at the time. After that conversation, Garris knew that YBN was the place that could get him on the road to success.  

“YouthBuild was designed with young people like Damien in mind,” said Founder and CEO of YouthBuild Newark Robert Clark. “It provides the tools and resources necessary for self-transformation, which in turn enables students to transform their families and their communities. We are incredibly proud of Damien and the countless other young people whose stories prove that the collective will of the community is the greatest force conceivable.” 

Garris pursued the construction pathway while at YBN and received his National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER) certification. But Garris’ connection with YouthBuild didn’t end at graduation - he chose to start his career journey at YBN as a graduate intern. He was the first face people saw when they walked into the building and it was his welcoming face that encouraged others to continue on the same road he once traveled. 

Garris is currently working at FedEx and is in the process of getting his Commercial Driver’s License (CDL). He aims to hit the road long-term and work as a truck driver in the future.

“I'm just trying to strive and to make it and trying to maintain everything that I worked hard for,” said Garris. “I can see myself as a truck driver. I always make sure that my next move is better than my last move.” 

Garris attributes who he is today to his experience at YouthBuild and despite the bumpy terrain of roads prior, he has remained driven - in more ways than one.