 Phiroth Khourn, or "P." as she's known by friends, was born in Seattle, spent her childhood in San Jose, and has roots in the southeast Asian country of Cambodia.
After the Khourn family was separated as a result of the "Killing Fields" atrocity, in which over a million people were executed and buried throughout Cambodia following a civil war, her parents moved to the United States, where they would eventually raise Phiroth and her sister. We got in touch with P. to find out why it was she joined YouthBuild, and what her experience was like in the program. Learn more about her in this issue of "In Their Own Words". Okay, P., tell us a little about your background. Where are you from? Where did you grow up? What's your family like? I am Cambodian born in Seattle, Washington State, USA. I grew up in San Jose, California. My parents are not Americans they are from Cambodia. They came to America with no education with my sister and me on the way, and it was a struggle. My parents had to make something out of nothing quick to survive. All my relatives were split up in different countries and states after the Killing Field situation. What was your life like before YouthBuild? I got involved doing negative things and got involved in the street life. The more street knowledge I gained the riskier my survival became. At one point the street almost took my life. That was my wake up call. It became more and more clear to me that I needed an education. When and how did you get involved with YouthBuild? I joined YouthBuild in 2009 and stayed for two years. I found out about YouthBuild through a family member who attended. What was your experience like with the staff and students at the program? It took me almost a year to actually trust the staff. When the time went on we bonded and now they're like my second family. I am still friends with a couple of graduates students and am in contact with staff to this day. How was the overall experience different from public school? Unlike the public schools, YouthBuild took a sincere interest in me not only to get me ready for my G.E.D. but it also opened up doors for me to enhance my future. The time being at YouthBuild helped me expand my leadership qualities. What was the construction aspect of the program like for you? Fortunately we have two great construction staff. This made it much easier to learn and participate using power tools. Its good to know that were helping on rebuilding the community service projects for low income families while practicing teamwork. How did it make you feel knowing that most of the projects you worked on in your community helped low-income families by giving them an affordable place to live? I feel that it is an honor to be part of a team that helps low-income people improve their living situation. What was the most difficult part of getting your GED? How did you feel once you got it? The most difficult part of getting my G.E.D was the fact that English is a second language to me. Getting my G.E.D was prolonged because I been out of school for five years, but I kept striving toward my success. When the testing center told me that they made a mistake scoring my test and had me re-do it, the struggle seemed harder at that point. So when I did in fact pass it I felt like I took the weight off my shoulders and now I can keep moving forward toward my goals and extend my education. What's changed about you since you graduated from the program? Since graduating from the program YouthBuild gave me valuable skills to be successful. Now I have a lot more confidence that I can achieve whatever path I want to pursue. Now that you've graduated, what sort of activities have you been involved in? I am now a state employee working for the Department of Developmental Services of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and I'm taking classes in the Fall studying for Human Services. How did YouthBuild prepare you for life after graduation? YouthBuild taught me how to set reasonable goals for myself and to make short-term goals towards achieving my long- term goals. If you hadn't joined YouthBuild, where do you think you'd be now? I would probably still be living the street life trying to survive, or in and out of jail putting myself in jeopardy. What are your goals now that you've graduated from the program, both short term and long term? My short-term goals are to complete one college semester at a time towards a college degree and to become a supervisor or state of Massachusetts administrator. I also plan on owning my own home in the future. Do you have a favorite memory from your time at YouthBuild? Does anything in particular stand out? The most memorable moment for me was being selected by YouthBuild Fall River to represent YouthBuild Massachusetts in Washington D.C., meeting other YouthBuild students from around the country, networking and hearing other stories relevant to my own. What advice would you give to kids who are just starting the program or thinking about enrolling? This is a unique opportunitiy unlike any other educational programs. So my advice to young adults is to stay focused and take advantage of everything YouthBuild has to offer. Things don't always stay the same because opportunities sometimes come once in a life time so embrace your future. Do you have any shout-outs you'd like to give to anybody that may have helped you get to where you are today? First, I want to give recognition to Dorothy Stoneman for creating this movement. Also I would like to give a shout-out to my YBFR staff, most importantly my mentor Ira Joseph for supporting me as I strive toward my success still to this day. I appreciate it very much. If you're a Mass. YouthBuild graduate interested in sharing your experience with the MYBC community, contact Ted Vrountas at [email protected] More issues of ITOW: Sthephany Garcia, 2012 YouthBuild Fall River graduate Nathanael Lopez, 2009 YouthBuild New Bedford graduate McKaila Coulter, 2011 YouthBuild New Bedford graduate "Like" us on Facebook | Follow us on Twitter | Subscribe to our E-Newsletter
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 Volunteers gather in front of YouthBuild Boston. Photo credit: YBBoston On the Fort Hill Day of Service, uBuild, a program dedicated to partnering employees of socially conscious companies with its parent organization, YouthBuild Boston, to complete service projects in the community, generated 82 volunteers to complete 574 hours of direct service at two nonprofits in the Boston area: Paige Academy, and the Cooper Community Center. Staff and students from YouthBuild Boston, as well as volunteers from Covidien, and the Red Sox -- including manager John Farrell, infielder Brandon Snyder, and catcher Ryan Lavarnway -- spent time landscaping, building picnic tables and making other improvements to the outside of both facilities. For more about the renovations made on the Fort Hill Day of Service, visit YouthBuild Boston's new website, and head over to the uBuild Service Blog For a few pictures of the Red Sox, YBB and Covidien in action, check out Boston.com's "Boston Athletes In The Community" photo album. Hear what John Farrell and Brandon Snyder of the Red Sox had to say about being part of the Fort Hill Day of Service in MLB.com's video below.  We've made it easier than ever for our graduates and supporters to keep in contact with our programs. In fact, the only effort required on your end is a few clicks of the mouse and a little typing at most. So if you're interested in staying involved and in the know, connect with us by doing one or more of the following:
1. Read Our Blog We update as often as we can, usually once a week, with stories about our students, staff, and the work our programs are doing to enhance their surrounding communities. We also use it to keep you updated on any events that might be coming up, MYBC job openings throughout the state, and any opportunities to get more involved with our programs. Start reading >> 2. Subscribe to Our E-Newsletter We send out an e-newsletter once a month filled with pertinent news and updates from around the coalition. We won't flood your inbox with emails, we promise. One email. Once a month. Filled with good Mass. YouthBuild news. Who doesn't like good news? Subscribe now >> 3. "Like" Us on Facebook By "liking" us on Facebook, you'll authorize the site to show our posts in your news feed, and have the opportunity to "like" them, comment on them, and share them with your friends. If you see something you like, let us know. It's called social media for a reason, people! We want to hear from you! "Like" us >> 4. Follow Us on Twitter On Twitter we share all kinds of news related to YouthBuild and the nonprofit world, 140 characters at a time. Follow us for fun factoids, informative articles, and quick updates on what's going in our programs. Follow us >>  On August 7th 1984, 2 million people across 400 communities in 23 states came together to celebrate the first National Night Out, a one night event to "promote involvement in crime prevention activities, police-community partnerships, neighborhood camaraderie and send a message to criminals letting them know that neighborhoods are organized and fighting back." Community residents locked their doors, turned on their porch lights and spent the night out with their neighbors and local law enforcement officials,engaging in a number of fun activities that have grown to include block parties, cookouts, parades, rallies, exhibits, and many others. This year, 37 million people around the world are expected to take part in National Night Out. Tonight, from 5PM-8PM, celebrate at YouthBuild with some face painting, live music, food, contests, and a three-on-three basketball tournament as the event comes to to the city of Lawrence.  Click the image above to visit YouthBuild Lawrence on Facebook Event Info:
Where: YouthBuild Lawrence, 355 Haverhill Street, Lawrence MA 01841 When: Tuesday, August 6th from 5PM-8PM What: National Night Out festivities that include face painting, live music, food, contests, and a three-on-three basketball tournament for 14-24 year olds. Learn more about National Night Out Learn more about National Night Out Lawerence |