DARWIN'S STORY

On the first day of orientation for his youth apprenticeship with Wayne Alarm Systems, Darwin Lara was blown away by the company’s welcoming and respectful atmosphere. The warm and professional staff he met that day set the tone for experience he embarked on.

While a senior at Lynn Vocational Technical Institute in Lynn, MA, Lara found the youth apprenticeship opportunity with Wayne Alarm Systems through Cultivate Pathways, an organization that aims to create equitable pathways to career success for immigrant students by connecting them to training and credentials in high-growth industries.

Lara came to the U.S. from the Dominican Republic when he started seventh grade.

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Darwin Lara, a senior at Lynn Vocational Technical Institute In high school, Lara enrolled in information technology (IT) courses and aspired to begin an IT career. Lara’s coursework helped him complete his Google IT Support Professional Certificate, which helped him stand out in his youth apprenticeship interview.

Wayne Alarm was Lara’s first job, and he was the only teenager in the workplace, so he had to focus not only on industry-specific skills but also workplace expectations. He worked as an IT assistant, fixing defective ethernet cables and making new ones. His supervisor, Dana Encarnacao, mentored Lara on doing this task properly and efficiently. It took him two days to make a cable with 18 ends, but during this challenging task, Encarnacao guided him through theprocess and gave him suggestions and direction.

Lara also learned about different departments at Wayne Alarm Systems, how to work with adults, and communicate effectively and professionally.

“It doesn’t matter how many times the world steps on you. You have to be supportive toward your customers and the staff,” Lara said, adding that he learned these skills from his supervisor.

Encarnacao also drove Lara to and from work every day, as Lara did not drive, giving them extra time to talk and develop a close bond. The two are still in touch, and Lara considers this relationship crucial to the positive start of his career journey.

Another pivotal moment in Lara’s experience was a lunch he had with the company founder and owner, Ralph Waynce Sevinor. Wayne Sevinor founded the company in large part because his family’s home was burglarized when he was 12. Sevinor asked at length about Lara’s plans for the future. “He made me feel important,” Lara said.

Lara intends to use the communication skills he learned from this youth apprenticeship in future job interviews. He strongly believes that youth apprenticeships are a crucial stepping stone to success that help high-school students get on track early to a career path.

“Show your determination and dress professionally. Practice answering all the questions you think they will ask you, to show you’re well-prepared,” Lara advised teenagers considering a youth apprenticeship, adding that the benefits of pausing and considering a well-thought answer far outweigh a speedy answer. “Don’t get nervous. Be thankful for the opportunity, and show that you can do it.”