Y Teen Achievers Celebrates 25 Years of Empowering Youth for Success

ORLANDO, FL – On Thursday, Oct. 8, the YMCA of Central Florida Teen Achievers, a program focused on inspiring teens from low-income communities to pursue post-secondary degrees and certifications, will celebrate the 25 years of providing enrichment opportunities to more than 11,000 of Central Florida’s youth. Since the program’s inception in 1990, the Teen Achievers program has helped more than 11,800 students to successfully graduate high school. Nearly 90 percent of those graduating students went on to pursue higher education opportunities at colleges and universities nation-wide. The program pairs minority high school youth with successful adult achievers who, through volunteer service, serve as mentors and role models providing educational, cultural and career guidance Ybeth Bruzual, one of Central Florida’s most well-known TV Journalist, will serve as the Mistress of Ceremonies and was honored as a YMCA Adult Achiever in 2001. During the ceremony, twenty-two corporate Adult Achievers will be honored for their professional excellence. These corporate leaders represent, the program’s partners and they include: Orlando Health, Orange County Sheriff's Office, City of Orlando, OUC, Orange County Corrections Department, Lockheed Martin, McCoy Federal Credit Union, CenturyLink and Orlando Police Department. The program’s Inaugural Achievers Education Advocate award will be presented to three distinguished honorees. The honorees include: Dr. Maria Vazquez, Dr. Bridget Williams and Dr. Felecia Williams The celebration will take place at 6 p.m. the Orlando Museum of Art, located at 2416 N Mills Ave, Orlando, FL 32803.   About the YMCA Teen Achievers Program Launched in 1990, the YMCA Teen Achievers Program is a college preparatory and career awareness program, designed to increase college enrollment among disadvantaged youth. The program is currently available at eight locations in Orange, Osceola and Seminole County including, Evans High School, Cypress Creek High School, Evans High School, Holden Heights Community, Mildred Dixon Activity Center and three locations sponsored by HFUW, West Orange High School,  Gateway High School and Seminole High School.   About the YMCA of Central Florida The YMCA of Central Florida is one of the area’s largest nonprofits committed to strengthening communities across Orange, Seminole, Osceola, Brevard, Lake and Marion counties and the local communities it serves. It is a diverse organization of men, women and children joined by a shared commitment to Youth Development, Healthy Living and Social Responsibility. Each day 35,000 Central Florida residents are impacted by the Y when a mentor inspires a child, individuals make healthy choices and a community comes together for common good. In 2014, this YMCA Association of over 1,800 employees across 6 Florida counties impacted over 235,000 residents and invested, during a challenging economy, $10.2 million in its local communities. The YMCA of Central Florida also provided $9.4 million in financial assistance to children and families, which supported lasting personal and social change.