Q was referred to Youth Radio by his group home director. He had been recently placed on probation and was required to move out of his hometown of Sacramento after getting in trouble with the law and getting sent to a group home based in West Oakland. During his intake at Youth Radio, Q expressed that he dealt with anger issues and liked to keep to himself. Once he was accepted into the Youth Radio program Q was able to receive additional mental health services to address these issues. Currently, he is part of a weekly men’s group and has weekly check-ins with the group home on site counselor. All of this has led to success and a feeling of belonging at Youth Radio.

Q has grown tremendously during his time at Youth Radio. He is well liked by his peers, polite to staff and helpful during instruction time. He is noticeably more confident in the space and enjoys sharing what he has learned. His attendance is almost perfect and he displays a high level of professionalism in his work.

During his time at Youth Radio, Q worked on a project on the topic of Commercially Sexually Exploited Children (CSEC). It was a huge learning experience for him and something he is really proud of. Q has dreams of becoming a strong ally in the CSEC community and has aspirations to work for the county in their Juvenile Justice Commission. He has also managed to improve his grades and advance to his sophomore year in high school with all his credits intact.

Due to his success, Q has successfully received an internship at Youth Radio, working part-time as an intern in the Oakland Unite funded MATCH Program. His Youth Radio Program Coordinator, Allen, says, “Q has an insatiable curiosity and he’s always trying to figure out how the world works, and his place in it. His keystone project gave him a vision for what it may look like for him to be a positive influence. I expect that Q will be a powerful person one day.”

To watch Q’s project on CSEC in Oakland click HERE.