They look you in the eye, they’re excited about doing new things- they don’t just want to stay in playing video games. They get a taste they get of adventure. That’s why we want to create more in depth programming.” Aaholm started his work with YES as a volunteer in 2004. At the time, he was working on completing a Masters in Social Welfare from UC Berkeley. “It (his work at YES) was in alignment with my personal passions, and the kind of work I was studying in school,” he said. After graduated he was asked to apply for the position as Executive Director and he will be celebrating his 10 year anniversary with them on February 1st. “Other than putting in the work and getting the job done, it’s a great milestone and one I’m proud of. It’s been a labor of love.” Aaholm grew up outside of Boulder Colorado in the Foothills where nature is a bit more accessible than it is in Richmond. “We had a tremendous amount of nature outside our backdoor,” Aaholm said of his youth. “I spent my time in the summers heading out in the mornings and heading back in the evening and just exploring the hillside.” Aaholm also lived in Costa Rica and Chile (Patagonia/Andes) for a year as a foreign exchange Spanish student through the University of Colorado. “I stayed for a year and taught English in Chile in a town called La Serena, a few miles north of Santiago.” Aaholm holds a BA in Spanish language and Literature. “I started studying Spanish when I was 11 and fell in love with the language,” he said. Nia Allen, a former YES participant now turned Camp-to-Community Peer Advocate attributes YES for her accomplishment of being the first in her family to graduate high school. She is now attending college, and has joined the YES staff, providing peer mentorship and support to younger YES youth. “I was really young, maybe 12 when I first started camp,” said Allen. “It was scary at first. I didn’t really go out a lot and camp, so it was unusual but when I found Camp Loma Mar it made me want to keep going back.” Allen said that that group at Camp Loma Mar expanded her horizons and opened the door to new activities like rock climbing and hiking. “I would make new friends from camp and we would keep in contact,” she said. “It made my community bigger.” However, YES prides itself on doing more than exposing youth to wider communities and the great outdoors. “They (the youth) push themselves physically and mentally, building life and leadership skills,” said Aaholm. “Every time our young people have experiences that take them away from their day to day in Richmond, they become a different person.” “I used the strategies I learned at camp and brought them home with me,” said Allen. “My mom and me used to argue. They taught us calming methods: things to do when your mad. I learned to work things out through talking instead of through violence. To talk to others the way I want to be spoken to.” “A lot of our young people are faced with similar issues to Nia,” said Aaholm. “There can be volatility in the community. It’s important to have a space where you can be yourself, be vulnerable and talk to others who are willing to listen. 90% of our work is setting up kids for long term success.” Allen is currently working toward a degree in Psychology, a field that she said her work at YES has had a huge influence over. “As a peer advocate, I help and assist. I’m a supporter to them (YES youth.) I also learned a lot of skills sometimes other people at YES will show me how their jobs are done, and I can put that all on my resume.” “YES made me realized that life gets better, and it’s a safe environment to start growing and finding your true self,” said Nia. “Working in such a non-judgmental space has helped me correct my own mistakes and made me realize that I absolutely want to be a leader and teach my experiences to the younger youth so I may see them grow and become leaders to help our community become the best.”
Contra Costa Marketplace - April 2017
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