American Family Insurance Dreams Foundation

MARLO DYKEMAN: The mission of New Pathways for Youth is to empower youth to fulfill their full potential through mentoring and life skill development. The problem that we're really trying to address is the cycle of poverty, adversity, and homelessness. Our youth come from circumstances of violence, substance abuse, parent incarceration. And really they're experiencing four times these adversities as other youth.

What we recognize as the most powerful intervention to really mitigate those adversities is a caring, stable, adult relationship.

CHELSEA CABANILLAS: My role as an agency owner with American Family has even been further developed by my volunteer efforts. I started volunteering with New Pathways for Youth after I graduated from college. As much as we try to make a difference in those mentees' lives, as a mentor, your life is definitely changed forever if you're open to it.

BRIANA ETHELBAH: My mentor always tells me I'm here for you. She's able to connect with me and support me. I felt like nobody understood me, but she did. My dream is to become independent, and to create stability for myself, and knowing that, no matter what, I'll be OK.

VERONICA SALCIDO: When I met Isala, she was not showing up for class. Because of it, she wasn't passing any of her courses. And then at the end of the wrap of that semester, she had straight A's.

MARLO DYKEMAN: You know, when I think about our kids and how we ask them to dream fearlessly, it's about recognizing the fact that they're capable, and that there's support behind them, and that they're not alone. That creates the foundation for just believing in yourself. And that's powerful to see.

VERONICA SALCIDO: We are breaking the cycle of generational poverty. It is not an easy task but, man, is it doable.

MARLO DYKEMAN: New Pathways for Youth can't do this alone. We need the support of organizations like American Family to help us ensuring that we're reaching the most vulnerable youth in the community. And so to have that support means that we have the resources that enable us to do it successfully.

CHELSEA CABANILLAS: They're literally trying to create an ecosystem for these kids to realize, yes, there are so many things going wrong right now, but it is totally OK to dream.