The 2015 CIT/LIT Job Readiness Program graduates: First Row (left to right): Salina Naima, Debbie Casimir, Abhijay Chawla, Kenny Doherty, Victoria Ortiz, Hailey Ann Willard. Second Row (left to right): Facilitator: Samantha Bolt, Joshua Bernardo, Emma Butler, Harmanpreet Kaur, Bobby McCarthy, Jasmine Navas, Jalycia Saul-Martinez, Facilitator: Jamey Thompson. Third Row (left to right): Manny Dias, Andres Garro-Duplisea, John Leyva, Teig O’Shea, Sam Peixeto, Nicolle Lacerda, Brian Gay, Robert Todd.

By Tom Bannister

The CIT/LIT Job Readiness Program held its graduation ceremony on July 23 at The Arthur D. Healey School.

The graduating class consisted of students between the ages of 13-15, who dedicated four-weeks out of their summer to participate in a program that taught them about job readiness and leadership skills.

Throughout the four weeks these students learned how to lead children, the significance of leadership and communication, the meaning of diversity, how to solve conflicts, and employment training.

The program not only taught the students skills that they need to work with children but also gave them the opportunity to work with kids at camp settings at The Somerville YMCA’s Summer Day Camp and the Somerville Recreation’s Somertime Day Program.

This session’s graduating class included the following 22 students: Joshua Bernardo, Emma Butler, Debbie Casimir, Abhijay Chawla, Manny Dias, Kenny Doherty, Andres Garro-Duplisea, Brian Gay, Harmanpreet Kaur, Nicolle Lacerda, John Leyva, Jhier Littles, Bobby McCarthy, Salina Naima, Jasmine Navas, Teig O’Shea, Samuel Peixeto, Chet Patton-Hock, Victoria Ortiz, Jalycia Saul-Martinez, Robert Todd and Hailey Ann Willard.

The collaborative efforts of the Somerville YMCA, the Somerville Community Youth Program, the Somerville Recreation Department, the Somertime Day Program, and the Healey School have been the dynamic forces behind this program’s success.