Achievement to be celebrated

The numbers are something to brag about.
Young people who find themselves within the realm of the Youth Service Bureau haven’t had an easy time of it.
By definition, these are kids who come from difficult family situations.
Things like stability, security, and structure have usually been missing.
Concepts like reaching for the stars can feel alien, something for others to try, not for “YSB kids.”
But something has happened.
This year, in numbers like never before, those same “YSB kids” are indeed reaching for the stars.
And by doing so, there’s a chance they’ll serve as positive role models for other kids who will follow them.
Consider this: When students head back to classes this fall, there will be two from the Jay County Youth Service Bureau studying at Ivy Tech, one studying at Ball State University, one studying at Anderson University, one studying at IPFW in Fort Wayne, one studying at Indiana University East in Richmond, and one studying at ITT Technical Institute in Fort Wayne.
Awesome is a word overused these days.
But it’s impossible to read that previous paragraph without having the word come to mind.
What the kids have accomplished so far is awesome.
What they’re reaching for in the future is awesome.
And the staff members at the Youth Service Bureau who have guided and mentored and pushed and prodded and listened and hugged and shared tears are awesome as well.
We’re proud of them, and we’re prepared to brag about them to anyone who will listen. — J.R.[[In-content Ad]]