DC Lawyers for Youth (DCLY) successfully launched its Young Achievers Program to highlight the accomplishments of young people within our community. Each Young Achiever receives a certificate from DCLY acknowledging their work and a $50 gift certificate to a local business. In October 2010, DCLY proudly named D’yahna Jones as its first Young Achiever.

D’yahna Jones, nominated by her Latin American Youth Center (LAYC) counselor, is a dynamic individual. D'yahna is not only a stellar student at Cesar Chavez Public Charter School maintaining above a 3.8 GPA, she has been a participant in the LAYC program, including Upward Bound, for the past three years. She has been instrumental in planning LAYC’s college tours and other program activities. Most recently, D'yahna was involved in the Washington DC Mayoral Election. D'yahna volunteered her entire day to make sure that voters were informed while serving as Polling Official and making sure that the voting process went smooth at LAYC.  D'yahna is an all-around great citizen and young scholar who will be a very successful young adult.

D’yahna is honored to be DCLY’s inaugural Young Achiever and she has lots to say to DC’s youth and adults alike, “Every young person has something special about them; they have goals and shouldn’t be doubted just because of where they come from. Young people should speak up about their goals, be open and get help if they need it. Talk to others about what you don’t know so that you can find out.” It is this self-advocacy and determination that D’yahna believes has gotten her this far and will enable her to reach her ultimate goal of becoming a doctor.

Know a Young Achiever in DC? Then let us know about the young person in your community who is making a difference.