Damien Pagan used to be “very shy,” he said, but after serving as an outreach worker through the Worcester Youth Center, he speaks easily with people now. Spending time at the Youth Center was a big stepping-stone for him, he said. “They helped push me to do what I had to do.”

While the work readiness programs and community service projects with local youth helped him prepare for new career directions, he credits his mentors, Hilda Ramirez and Roberto Diaz, for their persistence in keeping him focused on his education. He recently graduated from Becker College with a degree in criminal justice.

“Despite not liking school,” he said, “the big reason I completed college was their support.”

What you learn may not seem useful at the time, but in the long run, it is.

Today, he’s a mental health counselor in the UMass Memorial residential psychiatric unit, working with patients suffering from drug abuse and mental illness. He plans to start a nursing program in 2020. The graphic design skills he developed while creating the Youth Center’s annual report as a high school student still serve him well. He recently designed a logo for a friend’s new business.

Looking back on his time as a Center member, he offers this advice to current youth: “Whether you want to listen to it or not, take advantage of all those resources available,” he said. “Stick it out,” he added. “What you learn may not seem useful at the time, but in the long run, it is.”