Transcript for A Youth Makes Up for Lost Time

Every person wants to get ahead.

But some find bumps more than others.

For Apollos Ross gang violence meant dropping out of his senior year

Now at 18 he's making up for lost time. With the help of New Door Ventures

A program that helps at risk youth get ready for work in life.

He was recently placed in three month internship at Mission Pie.

Today, he's goals are clear

One of the most important goals is getting my GDE definitely

Another goal is finding a job that I can keep for a while

I just got to a point where if he felt like he was going to have that many problems

like gang problems, people getting expelled or suspended. Police coming to schools

Then just wait until you turn 18 then you can go somewhere to get your GDE

or your high school diploma. That'll be a lot safer without risk **

There is another program that can help him get away from all that stuff

and find something positive.

This onsite training program has been a learning process for Apollos

I'm more confident when I go to work

First when I started, I was probably a 3 and now I'd say I'm a 7

I also have to work on keeping the same peace, working hard at everything

Getting things right. Then if I do that I'll probably be a 9 maybe a 10 one day.

We definitely have seen Apollo grow

in terms of his own awareness of what's challenging about the job

in terms of learning how to get through whatever moments

might be hard, scary, things that are challenging,

things that are tedious

He's doing a good job

And he's staying very present and very honest

in his interactions with us

Today, Apollos is taking a practice test at new doors

to asses what academic areas he will need a tutor in

--another service rovided by new door

Another process in getting my GDE

I have to take a couple practice tests first

Then I'll try to take the full test

Math is not my thing at all,

Everything else I'm pretty good at

His weakness in math has proven to be a challenge at work.

I think just watching people do the cash register

it looks so easy and when I go to the cash register

I have to use a calculator and add them all up

Karen Highsler hopes that Apollo walks away from this experience

with a sense of confidence to prepare him for the difficult job market ahead.

It's not an easy time for young people to find work

The stronger the sense of his competency is the better that process will be.

Then there's so many things that interns learn here

that are really transferable

You know, how to relate to customers

how to talk to adults

This program helps you with a GDE

I think you'll keep more kids from getting into trouble

so they can have a place to go to and take GDE's and get a job

For Apollos, learning is not only about job skills

the responsabilities that transfer to his home life

He's a lot more aware of different things that

he kinda used to have a tendency to let pass

Like cleaning his room, doing chores

the basic things.

And he's learned how to be more responsible too

I'm glad my mom gave me the papers and said sign them

I was like 'no, I don't know what it is' and then I signed them

How is it?

it needs more hot sauce.