Ian Beats the Odds

“I could have given up on high school. But my EXP mentors inspired me to make something of myself. EXP has given me opportunities I never could have reached on my own. Now I know a bigger future is possible for me.”

Ian with colleague Jazmin

Working long hours after school just so your family can pay the rent adds to the pressure of being a teenager. For students like Ian, growing up with the stress of economic hardship in an underserved neighborhood, where all around you people are just trying to survive, can often be overwhelming.

“I’ve faced a lot of adversities in high school,” said Ian. “My mother is in prison and I was just barely beginning to cope with it as I entered my high school years. I could’ve been doing anything with my life at that point. A large percentage of kids would’ve just given up, started acting out and, even worse, gotten involved with the wrong crowd. I could have given up on high school. But my EXP mentors inspired me to make something of myself. EXP has given me opportunities I never could have reached on my own. Now I know a bigger future is possible for me.”

We are proud to share that Ian just graduated from Carson High School in June 2019. He credits his EXP internship with helping him get accepted to college on a full scholarship.