More than 40% at YWCA are under 17 years old
It’s graduation season. You may find yourself at a commencement ceremony or two, watching rows of hopeful faces cross the stage, each one carrying a story, a struggle, a dream.
As you sit there, consider this: more than 40 percent of the individuals we serve at YWCA Central Indiana are between the ages of 0 and 17.
Children.
Young people whose paths have already taken unexpected turns.
That reality shapes everything we do. The programs we offer must reach all young people – regardless of where they started or what brought them through our doors. Because potential isn’t defined by circumstance.
When I think of today’s graduates, I can’t help but think about the teenagers who live at YWCA Central Indiana. Our staff becomes their family – we’ve hosted open houses and walked alongside them through college orientation. We show up for whatever comes next.
And the stakes are high.
By 2031, more than 70 percent of jobs in the United States will require some form of education or training beyond high school. More than 40 percent will require a bachelor’s degree. That leaves less than a third of jobs available to those with a high school diploma or less.
The world our young people are entering is changing – quickly.
So, we tell them: keep going. Keep learning.
We teach durable, everyday skills – how to communicate effectively, how to nourish your body, how to manage a budget – because success isn’t built on academics alone. It’s built on the ability to adapt, to connect, to navigate life with confidence.
We remind them that education isn’t just about a diploma. It’s about options.
Even if you don’t yet know where you’re headed, every class, every credential, every experience adds another layer. Over time, those layers become a foundation that can open doors to new opportunities and greater choice.
We also talk about something just as important: relationships.
Because who you know – and who knows you – can make all the difference. Teachers, mentors, coworkers, classmates – these connections can lead to opportunities you never saw coming. A conversation can become a pathway.
And we’re honest with them.
We tell them it’s normal to feel uncertain. That knot in your stomach? It may not go away anytime soon. But it doesn’t have to hold you back. It can push you forward.
And maybe it’s time we shift how we talk to young people about what comes next.
The future isn’t a straight path for most graduates. It can feel more like uncharted territory – full of possibility but also filled with unknowns. So, when we ask, “What are you going to do next?” we may be asking for answers they don’t yet have.
There are better questions.
“What are you curious about right now?”
“What’s something you’ve been learning about lately that surprised you?”
Questions like these create space. They invite exploration instead of demanding certainty. They recognize that interests evolve – and that growth rarely follows a straight line.
If we want young people to keep learning, we have to meet them where they are – not where our own expectations say they should be.
Because the goal isn’t just to have a plan.
It’s to keep moving forward.
Recently, I asked a few friends what advice they would give to today’s graduates. You’ve heard echoes of that wisdom here.
But one message rises above the rest:
You don’t have to do this alone.
In fact, you shouldn’t.
Because behind every person crossing that stage – and every young person still finding their way – there is a network of support, encouragement, and belief.
And no young person should have to navigate that journey on their own.
WaTasha Barnes Griffin is President and CEO of YWCA Central Indiana.