College and employment seem to be getting less and less attainable for youth in today’s economy.  Even more prevalent is how to overcome obstacles like money, transportation, and time management that block the path to these goals.  Becca Lopez just wants everybody to know that they don’t have to do it alone. She’s available to help every Tuesday after school in South High’s College and Career Center.

“I would encourage everyone to network with each other,” Lopez encourages students, in the college process.  “Sometimes people forget to talk with their peers, and with their families, and their friends.”

This is just one example of the advice she gives students at their Tuesday afternoon meetings.  Lopez is a representative from the Minneapolis Resource Employment Action Center(REAC), in the Youth Features division.  Her organization works with youth ages 14-21 in Minneapolis.

“Our focus is to help youth graduate, find some sort of post-secondary training, and/or find a job, depending on what their focus is,” said Lopez,  “so we do a lot of resume writing, application assistance, eligible youth who sign up for my program can receive bus cards to help with the job search process.”

The program’s influence is not limited to college and jobs, however, but also provides facilities to direct youth in need to the right resources.

“You’re very connected here [at South] with the Career Center, other youth in the city who are not,” said Lopez.  She helps students with college applications and FAFSA forms, in addition to helping them find other resources, like for finding food and housing, “we’ll make those referrals too,” said Lopez.

One South student that has felt the benefit of Lopez’s job-searching advice is junior Lauro Clara-Flores.

“I go to see Becca Lopez, and she helps me find jobs, or anything else, with resumes, cover letters, thank you notes,” described Clara-Flores, who, resulting from this program, got a job cleaning parks for the recreation board this past summer.  “I’ve learned how to build online applications, what is useful for the future jobs.”

Lopez has been involved in REAC since she left college, and of all the things she’s learned, one lesson has stood out.

“You can be your own worst enemy,” Lopez said pensively,  “I would really encourage a young person to go with their gut, and believe in themselves, be consistent, and follow through.  If you be consistent, and follow through, people are going to see that, and they’re going to believe in you too.  But, if you come in with that kind of self-defeating attitude of ‘I’m not going to be able to College and employment seem to be getting less and less attainable for youth in today’s economy.  Even more prevalent is how to overcome obstacles like money, transportation, and time management that block the path to these goals.  Becca Lopez just wants everybody to know that they don’t have to do it alone.

“I would encourage everyone to network with each other,” Lopez encourages students, in the college process.  “Sometimes people forget to talk with their peers, and with their families, and their friends.”

This is just one example of the advice she gives students at their Tuesday afternoon meetings, in South High’s College and Career Center.  Lopez is a representative from the Minneapolis Resource Employment Action Center(REAC), in the Youth Features division.  Her organization works with youth ages 14-21 in Minneapolis.

“Our focus is to help youth graduate, find some sort of post-secondary training, and/or find a job, depending on what their focus is,” said Lopez,  “so we do a lot of resume writing, application assistance, eligible youth who sign up for my program can receive bus cards to help with the job search process.”

The program’s influence is not limited to college and jobs, however, but also provides facilities to direct youth in need to the right resources.

“You’re very connected here [at South] with the Career Center, other youth in the city who are not,” said Lopez.  She helps students with college applications and FAFSA forms, in adition to helping them find other resources, like for finding food and housing, “we’ll make those referrals too,” said Lopez.

One South student that has felt the benefit of Lopez’s job-searching advice is junior Lauro Clara-Flores.

“I go to see Becca Lopez, and she helps me find jobs, or anything else, with resumes, cover letters, thank you notes,” described Clara-Flores, who, resulting from this program, got a job cleaning parks for the recreation board this past summer.  “I’ve learned how to build online applications, what is useful for the future jobs.”

Lopez has been involved in REAC since she left college, and of all the things she’s learned, one lesson has stood out.

“You can be your own worst enemy,” Lopez said pensively,  “I would really encourage a young person to go with their gut, and believe in themselves, be consistent, and follow through.  If you be consistent, and follow through, people are going to see that, and they’re going to believe in you too.  But, if you come in with that kind of self-defeating attitude of ‘I’m not going to be able to College and employment seem to be getting less and less attainable for youth in today’s economy.  Even more prevalent is how to overcome obstacles like money, transportation, and time management that block the path to these goals.  Becca Lopez just wants everybody to know that they don’t have to do it alone.

“I would encourage everyone to network with each other,” Lopez encourages students, in the college process.  “Sometimes people forget to talk with their peers, and with their families, and their friends.”

This is just one example of the advice she gives students at their Tuesday afternoon meetings, in South High’s College and Career Center.  Lopez is a representative from the Minneapolis Resource Employment Action Center(REAC), in the Youth Features division.  Her organization works with youth ages 14-21 in Minneapolis.

“Our focus is to help youth graduate, find some sort of post-secondary training, and/or find a job, depending on what their focus is,” said Lopez,  “so we do a lot of resume writing, application assistance, eligible youth who sign up for my program can receive bus cards to help with the job search process.”

The program’s influence is not limited to college and jobs, however, but also provides facilities to direct youth in need to the right resources.

“You’re very connected here [at South] with the Career Center, other youth in the city who are not,” said Lopez.  She helps students with college applications and FAFSA forms, in adition to helping them find other resources, like for finding food and housing, “we’ll make those referrals too,” said Lopez.

One South student that has felt the benefit of Lopez’s job-searching advice is junior Lauro Clara-Flores.

“I go to see Becca Lopez, and she helps me find jobs, or anything else, with resumes, cover letters, thank you notes,” described Clara-Flores, who, resulting from this program, got a job cleaning parks for the recreation board this past summer.  “I’ve learned how to build online applications, what is useful for the future jobs.”

Lopez has been involved in REAC since she left college, and of all the things she’s learned, one lesson has stood out.

“You can be your own worst enemy,” Lopez said pensively,  “I would really encourage a young person to go with their gut, and believe in themselves, be consistent, and follow through.  If you be consistent, and follow through, people are going to see that, and they’re going to believe in you too.  But, if you come in with that kind of self-defeating attitude of ‘I’m not going to be able to College and employment seem to be getting less and less attainable for youth in today’s economy.  Even more prevalent is how to overcome obstacles like money, transportation, and time management that block the path to these goals.  Becca Lopez just wants everybody to know that they don’t have to do it alone.

“I would encourage everyone to network with each other,” Lopez encourages students, in the college process.  “Sometimes people forget to talk with their peers, and with their families, and their friends.”

This is just one example of the advice she gives students at their Tuesday afternoon meetings, in South High’s College and Career Center.  Lopez is a representative from the Minneapolis Resource Employment Action Center(REAC), in the Youth Features division.  Her organization works with youth ages 14-21 in Minneapolis.

“Our focus is to help youth graduate, find some sort of post-secondary training, and/or find a job, depending on what their focus is,” said Lopez,  “so we do a lot of resume writing, application assistance, eligible youth who sign up for my program can receive bus cards to help with the job search process.”

The program’s influence is not limited to college and jobs, however, but also provides facilities to direct youth in need to the right resources.

“You’re very connected here [at South] with the Career Center, other youth in the city who are not,” said Lopez.  She helps students with college applications and FAFSA forms, in adition to helping them find other resources, like for finding food and housing, “we’ll make those referrals too,” said Lopez.

One South student that has felt the benefit of Lopez’s job-searching advice is junior Lauro Clara-Flores.

“I go to see Becca Lopez, and she helps me find jobs, or anything else, with resumes, cover letters, thank you notes,” described Clara-Flores, who, resulting from this program, got a job cleaning parks for the recreation board this past summer.  “I’ve learned how to build online applications, what is useful for the future jobs.”

Lopez has been involved in REAC since she left college, and of all the things she’s learned, one lesson has stood out.

“You can be your own worst enemy,” Lopez said pensively,  “I would really encourage a young person to go with their gut, and believe in themselves, be consistent, and follow through.  If you be consistent, and follow through, people are going to see that, and they’re going to believe in you too.  But, if you come in with that kind of self-defeating attitude of ‘I’m not going to be able to do it,’ and ‘I can’t do it,’ and ‘I’ve never done it before,’ changes aren’t going to happen.”

But for Clara-Flores, it is simpler, summing up all you need to know in one sentence.

“You should go to this program called the Employment Action Center, they have someone named Becca Lopez, and she helps me find jobs.”