Celebrating Graduation of Root's 27th Cohort!

On Thursday, December 18th, a joyous crowd of nearly 100 family members, mentors, community partners, Root alumni, and board members gathered to celebrate the accomplishments of these young adults and enjoy the final meal they prepared together.

Guest speaker Felicia Pierce, CEO of North Shore CDC and Vice Chair of Root's Board of Directors, discussed the importance of programs such as Root and YouthBuild North Shore in our community and the support and opportunities they provide for young adults.

New graduates Jacquie, Princess, and Deniel shared remarks reflecting on their experience in the training program. "At Root, I’ve learned patience—because working in a kitchen with people who come from different backgrounds, beliefs, and temperaments can be challenging," shared Jacquie. "I’ve also learned to communicate better, as well as kitchen math, knife skills, and how to properly follow a recipe."

"Root also taught me how to nail an interview, with all the practice we did with staff," said Princess. "And honestly, one of the things I love most about this program is the staff. They make you feel welcomed, supported, and comfortable in a way that sticks with you."

"I'm gonna be honest, my first week in Root, I felt useless because I didn't feel like I was doing it right," said Deniel. "But I kept going, and now I've learned knife skills .... and how to work as part of a team."

Root's program team recognized Jasmine Graddy, Director of Workforce Development at North Shore CDC, with the "Root Special Sauce Award," which recognizes a volunteer or industry partner who is key to our program's success. Since Root opened its doors in 2017, Jasmine has gone above and beyond to support our team in serving the young adults in our program, working alongside them to truly meet each young person where they are and help them cross the finish line. In 2023, we formalized our partnership, allowing students to co-enroll in both programs - providing culinary workforce training for YB students and HiSet (GED) tutoring for Root students and alumni.

The graduates in Cohort 27 will move on to their next steps after the winter break; some will work toward completing high school, and others will pursue employment and/or continuing education with support from Root’s Alumni and Career Services. Keanu and Skyla plan to continue their culinary training in Root's Alumni Employment Program.