On June 7th, ILYA (Independent Living for Young Adults) hosted some young people aging out of foster care in New Castle County at a pizza party to celebrate their graduation from high school. While starting out very quietly once they got to know each other, it was quite lively with much conversation going on.

 

Talking to a former graduate, one young woman discovered they lived in the same apartment complex. They had great fun and offered each other congratulations and encouragement. They decided to continue that connection which will give them both support by sharing common experiences, challenges and resources.

 

One of the young men there is headed off to Arizona State to continue his education. He is doing what is called an “exploration major” in which he will be exposed to a number of different avenues to help him clarify his areas of interest. Another young person was also becoming a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) a week after graduation having done her certification work while finishing her high school requirements. She's going on to nursing school while working as a CNA.

 

Other graduates were unable to attend the party due to work commitments but they all received the backpacks made possible through the generous support of the First U congregation. With your help, we were able to recognize their accomplishments and reinforce how terrific they are and that they should be very proud of themselves.