Finding Purpose
By Diana Murillo,
Marketing Specialist
As a youth, Mikayla dealt with inconsistencies from the parental figures in her life, leaving her to figure things out on her own. Her adolescence was a challenging time during which she encountered negative influences. She experienced homelessness, stopped going to school, and began using substances. She was placed on probation, and continuous violations eventually led her to juvenile hall.
Mikayla was 17 when she entered juvenile hall, but she had been on probation for some time. She was connected to the Gender Responsive Alternative to Detention (GRAD) program through a probation officer. GRAD is a collaborative program between Stanislaus County Juvenile Probation and the Center for Human Services (CHS). The goal of GRAD is to divert girls from the juvenile justice system and identify or develop competent treatment options aligned with their assessed needs.
Mikayla was excited and hopeful to begin working with Renee, her case manager, in hopes of turning her life around. During her time at GRAD, Mikayla learned life skills, was referred to additional services, and received mentorship from Renee. After graduating from the program, she secured a job and started caring for herself independently. She felt prepared, thanks to all the resources she had been provided, and was confident in her ability to seek out resources and tools on her own.
A few years later, when Mikayla noticed a job opening at the Youth Navigation Center (YNC), she decided to apply, confident in her experience and first-hand knowledge of valuable services she had received from them. “I couldn’t believe that I had once been utilizing the services at CHS and now I was being given an opportunity to work with them side by side. For me, that was an ultimate healing moment — to feel so accomplished.” At the YNC, she supported youth with backgrounds similar to hers, offering them resources and referrals.
Currently, Mikayla is attending Merced College, pursuing a degree in Psychology. Her goal is to help youth and continue inspiring others. She has found passion in speaking and sharing her story. Without the GRAD program, she says, “I would not be where I am today. I would never have known where to start, and I probably would have given up… I wouldn’t have had that continuous support and empowerment to keep going to where I needed to be.” Mikayla’s experience with GRAD changed her life and helped her turn her pain into purpose.