Germain's Story
Germain recounts his transition from recipient to provider of services.
Germain Castellanos, YCC YouthBuild Waukegan graduate and member of the board of directors of Youth Conservation Corps, sponsoring organization for YCC YouthBuild, was selected as a Cesar Chavez Champion of Change in 2014. Germain’s commitment to community and social justice spans a decade, beginning as a YouthBuild student and AmeriCorps member at YCC YouthBuild Waukegan, Illinois. In 2008, Germain established the SHINE Educational Leadership Program that now serves over 300 young people at Waukegan High School – the same school that he was kicked out of as a teenager. His transition from recipient to provider of services earned him the Illinois Governor’s Journey Award.
I strongly believe in YouthBuild and have stayed connected with my local YouthBuild because of this belief. The training and transformation that I have seen youth go through in the program cycles that I was able to be a part of as a member and staff member are phenomenal.
Read Germain's Champion of Change blog Inspired by Change, Transformed Through Service on WhiteHouse.gov
