Edwin Gould Academy is pleased to announce the recent graduation of two residents, Jessica and David, from Year-Up. Year-Up is a one-year, intensive technical training program for urban young adults that provides young adults with a unique combination of technical and professional skills, college credits, an educational stipend and corporate apprenticeship.

Jessica and David have been residents of Edwin Gould Academy since it opened in March 2006. Like most of our residents, Jessica and David spent most of their formative years in foster care. They both grew up never really knowing the warmth and happiness that a stable family can provide. During her first few months at EGA, Jessica struggled with chronic unemployment and unsettling lifestyle choices. Having never been on her own before, Jessica didn't know how to handle her new-found responsibilities and cope with transitioning into adulthood. Prior to his arrival at EGA, David was homeless and unemployed. Even though he had already obtained his GED, David needed the resources that EGA could provide to further his education.

While at Year-Up, Jessica did her corporate apprenticeship at Merrill Lynch and David completed his at Lehman Brothers. Upon graduation, both were offered full time jobs, Jessica at IBM and David was asked to return to Lehman Brothers. Their transformation over the last eighteen months from confused, troubled adolescents to stable, productive young-adults has been remarkable.