When Yosgar first heard about A Place Called Home, he was simply looking for a place to do community service in order to fulfill a high school requirement. As a teen, he came to us through a friend’s recommendation and began volunteering to bag and distribute free groceries to local, food-insecure families. But what stood out to him wasn’t the volunteer work. It was the warmth and welcome he experienced.
“At first, I was really scared and intimidated,” he says. “But once I stepped foot inside A Place Called Home and met and started talking to all the people there, it felt like I was at home. Ms. Ann (who leads our Volunteerism Program) immediately made me feel like I was at home, literally.”
That sense of acceptance and belonging came at a critical moment in Yosgar’s life. Being raised in South Central in a family of nine, he was often surrounded by people he loved deeply, but really struggled with feeling unseen and unheard. On top of that, his future seemed bleak and attending college felt financially out of reach.
Support System
But, we stepped in and helped pave new opportunities for Yosgar. Through our APCH Shaheen Scholars Program, our advisors, Mr. Jesus and Ms. Jennifer guided him through the entire process. They supported him with his college applications, helped him navigate the financial realities of higher education, and encouraged him when the process became challenging and overwhelming.
A New Perspective
When his dream school, UC San Diego, rejected Yosgar, he was crushed. But it was Coach Des who gave him a new perspective. “She changed how I thought,” he said. “She taught me to realize that even though I didn’t get into my top school, I was still good enough to get into other colleges and they chose me for a reason.” That conversation with Coach Des was pivotal.
One of those colleges was UC Riverside, where Yosgar is enrolled in this fall as a freshman majoring in economics. For him, college is more than a degree. It may be his only opportunity to go beyond the only community [South Central] he has ever known, to become independent, and to discover what lies ahead.
Advice for Youth
Looking back, Yosgar only wishes he had found us sooner. “I met amazing people, made new friends and connections, and it gave me so many opportunities. I only regret that I didn’t go to APCH sooner.”
Now, he has advice for the youth that are following in his footsteps: “Don’t be shy and be sure to ask a lot of questions.”
Through A Place Called Home, Yosgar found people who made him feel like he belonged, answered his many questions, believed in him, and helped turn college from something that felt out of reach into reality.
