Project Next Blog
Learn more about what we believe in and what we're up to.
When Zyon moved from Chicago to North County San Diego during his junior year of high school, his mom wanted what every parent wants for their child: a fresh start, a safe place, and an opportunity to build a good future. He moved in with his brother. And within two weeks, his brother was arrested. Suddenly, Zyon was in a new city, attending a new school, with no one at home and very little support. At 18, he had also aged out of some of the services that might otherwise have been available to him. His high school suggested he stop by the Project Next Future Center. That introduction would become about much more than figuring out what to do after graduation.
In September of 2023, Project Next officially began a new chapter. And in honor of our third birthday, we thought there was no better time to tell the story of how we got here. The truth is, our story started long before there was a Project Next. It began with a young woman growing up in a low-income, single-parent household who would become the first in her family to attend college. College felt foreign, and the path forward was anything but clear. But one high school counselor believed in her, helped her see possibilities she could not yet see for herself, and changed the course of her life. That young woman was our founder and Executive Director, Lisa Stout.
THE TALENT IS ALWAYS THERE
Stories of students, opportunity, and what happens when doors open.
When Zyon moved from Chicago to North County San Diego during his junior year of high school, his mom wanted what every parent wants for their child: a fresh start, a safe place, and an opportunity to build a good future. He moved in with his brother. And within two weeks, his brother was arrested. Suddenly, Zyon was in a new city, attending a new school, with no one at home and very little support. At 18, he had also aged out of some of the services that might otherwise have been available to him. His high school suggested he stop by the Project Next Future Center. That introduction would become about much more than figuring out what to do after graduation.