By his own admission, Chaz Ross did not want to “become another statistic.” His options were limited: Chaz had been expelled from school due to behavioral issues, was staying with a friend and had limited access to transportation. His friend’s mom turned him to Goodwill and recommended the E-Squared program.
E-Squared, which stands for Education & Employment, gives Tarrant County residents, ages 16-24, the opportunity to earn their GED and a paycheck at the same time. At first, Chaz struggled to adapt to the program’s self-paced curriculum, having only experienced a traditional classroom setting. With help from his instructor, he found a pace that worked for him and graduated just 10 months later.
Chaz plans to continue his education at Tarrant County College and earn a mechanical certificate in hopes of owning his own car shop. He attributes much of his success to his Goodwill youth specialists who helped him find a brighter path forward.