Playing Batman and Robin as a child is one of the fondest, perhaps most innocent, memories I recall.

In life, we all make choices, whether good or bad. These choices always lead us somewhere, some good, and some bad.

I attended YouthBuild Brockton in the fall of 2007 because I wanted to get my life on the right track. I had a long history of smoking marijuana and selling drugs throughout the Boston area.

As Brandon Menjares approached the podium for his YouthBuild Just-A-Start graduation speech, I fully expected to be blown away.

I went from not knowing anything about construction to building hospitals, banks, and luxury condos. I was given the chance to help build the very city I grew up in.

When I was a ten-year-old girl growing up in Colombia, I wanted to become a zoologist and research great apes like Dian Fossey after watching a TV show featuring her work in the mountains of Rwanda.

While running the streets, I realized that I was trapped in a vicious cycle that I knew had to be broken. I became involved with the courts and I was also a victim of violence. I realized that I needed serious change in my life.

Opportunities go to those who have the necessary skills. At YouthBuild programs, we clearly communicate labor market realities to young adults so they know what occupations are in demand and how to obtain the appropriate credentials to advance vocationally.

There is something I learned in YouthBuild that I constantly pass on to others: Do not be afraid of learning more; do not be afraid of growing more; do not be afraid of success.

Every year, national service provides tens of thousands of people with a year of service that teaches the skills and provides the experience demanded by nonprofit, corporate and public sector employers who are looking for workers in this challenging economy.

Education is the top priority of our nation if we are to thrive in the 21st century. We need to invest in the education, well-being, inspiration, and character development of every young person born.

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