Naples, FL (May 29, 2020)
Youth Haven is excited to introduce its six teens that are graduating from high school this year! These amazing individuals have overcome so many obstacles to achieve this goal. While they definitely did not anticipate the end of their high school career to occur in the midst of a pandemic, they all have positive attitudes and are looking forward to a bright future! Meet our Class of 2020:
- Lamar will be graduating from Palmetto Ridge High School and hopes to become a Professional Gamer and IT Technician. He loved his Animation classes and believes that “Familiar paths end at the edge of your comfort zone…” (quote by Holly Jennings).
- Merci is graduating from Golden Gate High School with hopes of being in Early Education. She plans to one day own a Day Care Center. Her favorite high school memory was playing sports and she loved her math classes.
- Mitchy is graduating from Lorenzo Walker Technical High School with the goal of becoming a Registered Nurse. She’d like to work in the Pediatrics field and help children. While at Lorenzo, she loved her nursing classes, clinicals and lunches with friends.
- Nathan is graduating from Lorenzo Walker Technical High School and hopes to become a Drafting Architect. His favorite school memory was getting accepted into the Drafting program and his favorite class was Art. He lives by the following quote by Luffy – “Power isn’t determined by your size, but by the size of your heart and dreams”.
- Vonte will be graduating from Golden Gate High School and hopes to continue playing football and also become a Computer Engineer. He loved his Math & Science classes and his favorite school memory was his first day of high school.
- Yadira will be graduating from Collier County Public School Adult Education. She completed her studies all while working part-time!
To support our teens in their future endeavors and help each of our graduates with housing, books, and supplies to ensure their first year after high school is a successful one, you can make an online donation by visiting https://bit.ly/2AaRTfX
You can also send a greeting card, gift card or monetary donation for our graduates to:
Youth Haven
Attn: Graduate
5867 Whitaker Rd.
Naples, FL 34112
“We’re so proud of our six graduating teens as they reach this exciting milestone in their lives. These teens are determined, dedicated and simply amazing individuals and we’re excited to see what their future holds,” said Jinx Liggett, Youth Haven Executive Director.
Youth Haven’s Transitional Living Cottage, Rob’s Group Home, provides comprehensive 24-hour care, with a longer average length of stay for homeless unaccompanied youth ages 16 to 19. Rob’s Group Home offers our homeless teens a safe and caring environment, a place to sleep, educational support, nutritious meals, and medical and mental health services. We also provide structured Case Management with the expectation of working toward self-sufficiency. Goals are set at intake and we have a weekly case review to monitor the progress of each goal. The program focuses on high school graduation, job readiness, preparing for higher education, and strengthening community connections.
For additional information, please contact Laura Lafakis, Development Manager, at 239-687-5175 or Laura.Lafakis@youthhavenswfl.org.
About Youth Haven
Youth Haven, a 501(c)(3) non-profit agency, is Collier County’s only residential emergency shelter for boys and girls ages 6-18 who have been removed from their homes due to abuse, neglect or abandonment. Youth Haven is a COA nationally accredited organization, a member agency of the United Way of Collier County, a Naples Children and Education Foundation grant recipient, and has been in continuous operation since 1972. For more information, visit www.youthhavenswfl.org, like our Facebook page, follow us on Twitter, and Instagram.