Sand Mountain Reporter

One program in Marshall County is working to give opportunities to its youth.

The program titled “Launch” helps out-of-school youth, between the ages of 17 and 21, overcome the obstacles in their lives keeping them from achieving the success they want.

Obstacles range from lack of financial means or teen pregnancy to a variety of other situations, some common and some as unique as the individual.

Launch focuses on a student’s drive to succeed instead of the reasons they should not. It provides them with the support, both financially and personally, they need to be successful.

Samantha Morrow, who recently enrolled in the program, is already receiving help with childcare while she works, and assistance with furthering her college education.

The success the students seek could be getting a good job, a degree, or sometimes it can be as simple as a direction to go in life.

Shannon Self, who has been with the program for four months, said the program is helping him choose a career.

The program utilizes tools, like the Myers Briggs Personality Test, to identify what type of career a participant is best suited for.

The program also has a full-time counselor available to help the students with everything from emotional barriers to career guidance.

Self also said one of the most beneficial aspects of the program is having the opportunity to listen to other people talk about their careers.

The program has inspired another to go to college.

“At first I didn’t want to go to college, but we went on college tours, and now I’m all up for going to college,” Marlena Nasta, who has been in the program for about a year, said.

Nasta said she hopes to work with developmentally challenged children.

While in the program Nasta has done a significant amount of volunteer work and managed to amass almost 500 incentive points.

“When they need me I’m always here,” Nasta said.

The program uses the points as a way to reward students for their hard work.

The Launch program is in its eighth year and according to Christy Wray, the program coordinator, has close to 80 percent of the students leave the program after obtaining a job in the field of their choice.

In all, the program provides:

• Assistance with GED completion and graduation

• Career Interest Inventories

• Personality Assessments

• Individual and group counseling

• Career counseling

• Job shadowing and on-the-job training

Want to know more?

• Phone number: 256-894-4725

• Web site: www. launchprogram.org

• Address: The Launch program is located at the Albertville Career Center, 5920 U.S. 431.

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Serving Albertville and the Sand Mountain region

Publisher: Ben Shurett

1603 Progress Drive
Albertville, Alabama 35950

Tel: 256-840-3000 | Email

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