Despite good summer jobs in high school and countless job applications since, for three years Aziz Iscandari could not find any work to help pay for school. “I grew up in the Howard County schools, which was great academic preparation,” says Aziz, “but since then I’ve moved from private to community college to a state school. It’s been very hard to figure out how to pay for college, and my family cannot afford the tuition, room and board.”

Aziz, a PATH leader through his congregation, worked with a dedicated team for two years to secure funding for and create our READY environmental jobs program, Aziz’s hard work created tangible results, landing him a job as a READY Crew Leader. “Every penny I earn is going towards my education." If we measured Aziz’s summer’s work solely on helping him reach his dream of earning his college degree, it would be a success, but it has meant much more to him in a variety of ways. When asked how he has grown as a leader, Aziz replied, “Learning how to deal with difficult situations and growing with a new program will help me prepare for the future.”

Thanks to READY’s continuing education component, Aziz enthusiastically says, “I have learned so much about our watershed and how the things we do affect its delicate systems. I’ve gotten valuable information that I can share with others. I hope this will help us save the environment in the long-term.”