“Before I came to the Club, I was scared to grow up. But here, I realized that maybe growing up isn’t as bad as it seems, because I have people around me who actually care.”

Sixteen-year-old Blessing Adair has grown up at the Boys & Girls Club of Henderson County. Now, because of the Club’s RISE workforce readiness program, she’s discovering a future career in early childhood development and counseling.

“I was volunteering with the little kids before I even knew what RISE was,” Blessing said. “When I made connections with them, I realized I could help kids feel better, even when they wanted to shut everyone else out. Just realizing that I could help made me want to do more.”

According to a recent employer survey highlighted by HR Dive, 60% of employers say soft skills are more important than they were just five years ago, while 78% say candidates with strong technical skills still underperform if they lack interpersonal or cultural fit. That’s where the RISE program steps in, equipping teens like Blessing with the soft skills, financial literacy, and career awareness that traditional education often overlooks to ensure they enter the workforce not just capable, but future-ready.

“Teens get a lot of experiences in high school, but what they don’t always get are the soft skill experiences employers really look for,” explained Abi Gamble, RISE Program Director. “RISE gives them a safe place to practice those skills, where the margin of error is wide. That way, when they get to their first job, they’re ready.”

Blessing’s gift for working with children led Abi to connect her with Kylee Rose Frye, one of the Club’s Resiliency Coordinators, who has an extensive background in Early Childhood Development. Kylee invited Blessing to shadow her at work. “It’s been such a joy to see her around the other kids,” 

Kylee said. “Blessing offers something I can’t; she grew up as a Club kid. Kids open up to her because they can relate to her. She’s slow to judge others, and she has patience even when others don’t. Those are skills that are hard to teach.” 

Blessing says her time at the Club has given her lifelong tools: “The Club has pushed me out of my comfort zone and helped me learn how to connect with anyone.”