“When you feel like you can no longer do it… STRIVE, because there is always a rainbow at the end of the tunnel” –Kate Collins

Kate Collins is a 2018 YBNCWV graduate.  Pregnant at 15 years old, Kate was faced with trying to attend school and attend to her newborn baby.  Even though she was setup for homebound schooling, it was not successful for Kate.  Eventually, Kate had to drop out from High School and enroll in Youth Build.

“I had to do something with myself because it was so hard to go to school, work and take care of a newborn baby as a teenager” –Kate Collins

While enrolled at YBNCWV, Kate obtained many certifications and her TASC, but most significantly she obtained a certificate in Chronic Disease and Diabetes Management so that she could education others on how to deal with illness and diabetes.  She volunteered at the local hospital (Davis Medical Center) and attended the 2018 Conference of Young Leaders in Washington, D.C where she met other young people who attend Youth Build programs across the U.S.  After graduating from YBNCWV, Kate signed on for another term with AmeriCorps under the Education Alliance—she mentors disconnected children in Middle School as an initiative to support under-served youth in Randolph County Schools.  Kate’s dream is to work with disabled youth; she wants to continue her education at Wesleyan College in Buckhannon, WV to obtain a degree in Special Education.