Ngan “Jasmine” Nguyen—2015 Fellow
Year: Class of 2017
Major: Psychology
Youth Express and BAM Essentials
Through my experience with underprivileged youth, I am keenly aware of the challenges they face with employment readiness. My CGF allows me to partner with two ventures, Youth Express and BAM Essentials, which are creatively tackling this social issue through youth social entrepreneurship.
My experience was an unique blend: while Youth Express has been running the bike shop for 20 years, BAM Essentials is a start-up personal care social enterprise. Both organizations have a mission to develop work, life, and entrepreneurial skills of young people in the community through apprenticeships that include training, traditional working, and on-the-job coaching.
With Youth Express, I designed survey and conducted interviews with past participants to measure the long-term impacts of the program on youth development. I collected their feedback and formulated them into common themes and incorporated my findings into a presentation. I later presented my findings to Express Bike Shop’s manager and Board of Directors
Learning from Youth Express’s experience, I was able to make recommendations for BAM Essentials’s organizational structure. I also helped develop sales and marketing plan for the upcoming year.
I could not have asked for a more rewarding or challenging experience. Chuck Green fellowship granted me the freedom to pursue my interest and also support and resources I needed to be effective in the work I chose to do. The unique combined experience working with both Youth Express and BAM Essentials gave me clear picture on how to start, develop, and sustain a social enterprise. I am greatly thankful to my supervisors and Chuck Green Community for their incredible support and resourcefulness.