Marin General Hospital Invests in Bay Area Youth Through 'Year Up' Partnership

Marin General Hospital is a proud partner of Year Up Bay Area, a non-profit organization that provides urban youth adults with the skills, experience, and support to empower them to reach their full potential through professional careers and higher education.

Year Up’s one-year intensive training program provides low-income, often disconnected young adults, ages 18-24, with a combination of hands-on skill development, college credits, and corporate internships. The first six months of the program focuses on technical and professional skill building, while the second six months focuses on applying those skills through corporate internships. Students also earn up to 31 college credits and a weekly stipend.

Since 2014, Marin General Hospital has offered 16 Year Up students the opportunity to work in a hands-on setting in its Information Technology (IT) Department. This year, two students completed internships at Marin General Hospital and one of them, Janae Wallace, has had her internship extended by six months due to exemplary performance.

Ms. Wallace, who had to leave Xavier College after just one semester due to financial problems, is a shining example of the merits of Year Up and the drive of its student interns. In the course of just four short weeks, Wallace succeeded in effectively scoping-out an entire project for the Marin General Hospital IT Department, built a comprehensive project plan, and communicated that plan to clinicians for approval and ultimately execution.

“Our affiliation with Year Up Bay Area and its student interns has truly been an outstanding addition to our hospital,” said Lee Gruszie, Manager, IT Operations at Marin General Hospital. “Each student brings an intense desire to learn, coupled with a deep commitment to contribute, resulting in a win-win for the student intern and our hospital. We are so proud of Janae and what she has accomplished in her short tenure with us. Based on her exceptional performance, not only for the IT Department, but the hospital as a whole, we are truly excited to have been able to extend an employment opportunity to Janae.”

“We are grateful to Marin General Hospital for their outstanding support of Year Up,” said Emily Leong, Marketing & Communications Specialist with Year Up Bay Area. “Marin General Hospital has seen firsthand the talents of our students and the contributions they can add to an organization when connected to an opportunity. The accomplishments of Janae Wallace and other Year Up interns is testament to the strength and success of this program. We applaud Marin General Hospital for their continued and longstanding commitment to Year Up and the future of our youth adults in the Bay Area.”

– SUBMITTED FOR PUBLICATION BY: Marin General Hospital

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