Yeren thrived in the BTE program, and successfully graduated with his high school diploma. But he didn't stop there! That fall Yeren returned to YBB to enroll in our Pre-Apprentice program, where he quickly gained more advanced job skills that landed him a spot on the crew of 'This Old House'. As he finishes his placement there this spring, Yeren plans to join the Union, and dreams of one day starting his own company. We are very proud of Yeren and know that he will be successful in his new career!

Yeren Rivera enrolled in YouthBuild Boston's Building Trades Exploration program through his high school, Margarita Muniz Academy (MMA). YBB's partnership with MMA keeps high school seniors engaged and on track for graduation by enabling them to apply what they're learning in school to real, hands-on construction projects. Through the partnership, Yeren and his classmates spent half of their academic week on one of our jobsites learning vocational skills alongside industry professionals, while the other half was spent in the classroom.

“the experience I was expecting to receive was a strict teaching environment where a teacher would just be a teacher, but as it turns out everyone was like a big family. We got work done and also had fun on site. Makes the day go fast and makes you look forward to the next day.”