Page 3 - Real Life Annual Report 2021
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Our Director History After a landmark grant from Synchrony Bank in 2014
Promise South Salt Lake, Real Life made a leap from
two sites to five during the 2014-2015 year. Through
MELISSA PEARSON Real Life was born through the visionary leadership and through a wonderful partnership agreement with
of Ellie Seaborn, a Youthlinc employee at the time. additional community partnerships, Real Life added
She had been working with refugees at Hser Ner Moo three additional sites during the 2015-2016 year and
Center and suggested Youthlinc focus on the teens, four additional sites during the 2016-2017 year.
who were generally overlooked by programs that
resettle refugees. In partnership with Promise South Salt Lake,
Refugee Immigrant Center – Asian Association of
In 2010, through the collaboration of Ellie Seaborn Utah, Granite School District, Salt Lake City School
and Domoina Kendell, our first partner with Promise District, and Umoja Generation, Real Life served at
of South Salt Lake, Real Life began working with eleven locations this year. Real Life provides profound
refugees at Hser Ner Moo Center. Real Life has been opportunities to refugee and immigrant youth to
growing and improving ever since. practice and develop skills to make them more
successful after high school. Youthlinc projects that
Real Life programming will continue to influence 400+
students and 120+ peer mentors during the 2021-2022
school year.