Bria Beckley seems like a typical college student: tired, frazzled perhaps, but determined. Scratch the surface and it becomes clear that Beckley’s path to Monroe Community College was a long and bumpy one.

The 24-year-old criminal justice student in 2016 received her General Equivalency Diploma through the YouthBuild program at Urban League of Rochester, N.Y. Inc (Rochester, NY). She found Urban League—through a mysterious letter—at a time when she had just about given up.

“I had gotten a letter in the mail saying that I had signed up for the YouthBuild program,” Beckley recalled. “Honestly, I didn’t remember signing up for the YouthBuild program. Two months later I came in and I was hesitant at first.”

Beckley had been through a number of G.E.D. programs and said her problem stemmed from a lack of commitment. The letter from Urban League came at the right time, she said.

To read the full article, please visit: http://rbj.net/2017/10/12/youthbuild-aims-to-construct-strong-students/