Success Stories
Following Her Passion
Yamilka Marti was 15 years old when she came to this country from Puerto Rico. In School in Puerto Rico she was very involved in sports but felt intimidated here. She remembers not knowing many Latino families in this country. But the picture changed when she began the Yo Puedo program in her senior year of high school. Yamilka made new friends and remembers the fun times at movie and pizza nights. What helped her most were the opportunities to learn leadership skills. She also learned how to avoid drug and alcohol abuse. This positive experience lead Yamilka to join Project Rehab as a Program Assistant for Yo Puedo in 2003. She explains, “Latinos struggle a lot when they come to this country. They don’t know the language or the people around them.” She feels that the program not only gives Latinos an opportunity to socialize but also learn how to gain good decision-making skills. The program moved to the Life Guidance Services division in 2004. Though her position was eliminated due to funding cuts in fall 2008, Yamilka remains positive and hopeful. She is intent on following her career path of social work and continuing the mission to help fellow Latinos in the community.
Yamilka’s story appears in 40 Stories of Courage and Hope: Celebrating 40 Years of Project Rehab, which was published in Fall 2008 in recognition of Project Rehab’s 40th anniversary. Click here to read more stories about our courageous clients and the treatment pioneers who helped make recovery possible.
This story is sponsored by Carol Kooistra in memory of "Dr. Bill", cofounder of Project Rehab