Costa Mesa, Calif., July 06, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Career exploration nonprofit Roadtrip Nation is excited to premiere the new four-part documentary series “Roadtrip Nation: To Be Determined,” which follows three young adults on the path from adversity to opportunity. Supported by AT&T and presented by KQED, “To Be Determined” will air nationally on public television stations starting on July 6, 2020, and is available to watch online at rtn.is/to-be-determined.
The series follows Taiheem, Yasmine, and Denise, all of whom faced hardships that could have thwarted them from pursuing their dreams, but have gone down their own paths with diligence and ingenuity. As they travel from Atlanta to Chicago in Roadtrip Nation’s green RV, they interview workforce development CEOs, political campaign managers, software engineers, and more to see how people who share their backgrounds have overcome challenges and found fulfilling work.
Taiheem wants to give power and possibilities to young people who feel they have none. Raised amid domestic violence and forced to bounce around shelters, foster care, and friends’ houses, he eventually attended the workforce development program, Per Scholas. It helped him harness the strength of his own dreams to get on a path that leads where he wants to go—a career in IT. Yasmine has faced challenges that would wear down even the strongest person, but family, afterschool programs, church, and the Chicago Cook Workforce Partnership program, which offers training and job support, kept her on course. She’s in school to become a patient care technician. She wants the sort of skills she can pass on to her community, to create a cycle of support. Hard work and big goals have been the driving forces in Denise’s life—and she’s determined to lift her whole family up with her. Her parents emigrated from Mexico to give her a better life, and their sacrifices are not lost on her. As she contemplates going back to school and choosing a career path, she’s hoping this time on the road will give her a chance to step back, celebrate her hard work, and see how she can harness it for the future.
“For nearly two decades, Roadtrip Nation has been building a collection of career stories that others can see themselves in,” said Mike Marriner, president of Roadtrip Nation. “With this documentary, we’re highlighting how workforce development programs have helped these three young people discover a stable and unique path forward out of adversity. We wanted the stories of these three to inspire people to explore all sorts of different pathways—software engineering, IT, finance, medicine, politics, and more—and find the path they feel fits them best.”
Throughout their journey, Taiheem, Yasmine, and Denise realize that the personal struggles they’ve faced can become a major source of strength as they plot out their next moves in deciding the career path they want to embark on long term. The roadtrippers meet Andre Carroll, a political campaign manager who credits a workforce development program as the foundation for his personal success; Karen Norington-Reaves, the CEO of the Chicago Cook Workforce Program, and a dedicated advocate for the youth in her community; and Gerald Chertavian, the CEO of the workforce development initiative, Year Up. Between their stories and those of the inspiring people they interview, it becomes apparent no hurdle is high enough to stop you from jumping toward your goals.
To learn more about “To Be Determined,” visit rtn.is/to-be-determined.
You can also learn more about the film by following @RoadtripNation and @ATTImpact.