Press

Eva's Journey From Stuck to Soaring

Wed, 22 Apr 2026 18:53:04 GMT

How One Person's Future Came Into Focus at OWL360

Sometimes it takes the right mix of programs and the right community for a young person to discover their path. In her own words, Eva shares how Earn to Learn, Level Up, and Flight Crew helped her move from "stuck" to launching the next chapter of her life.

By Eva, April 2026

I finally have clarity about what I want to do with my life, and I wouldn’t have been able to figure it out as fast as I did without the support of OWL360.

My experience with OWL360 started with Earn to Learn. At the end of last summer I did not know what I wanted to do next. I felt stuck. Earn to Learn was a really helpful class where I was able to explore career possibilities and meet new people. I learned that there are a lot more opportunities and resources in Port Townsend than I thought there were. I realized that I wanted a job as a writer. I’ve always loved to write but I was questioning if it was the right career choice for me. I connected with a writing mentor and that was super helpful. I also wanted to explore other creative options to make a living alongside writing.

I decided to do the Level Up Internship next. I am currently working as a floral assistant learning how to be a floral designer. I’m really enjoying it! I love to create, that’s what I’m best at. I’m able to be creative with flowers, and I get so much joy from it.

Along the way I learned about Flight Crew. I was drawn to it because I’ve always felt like I needed support with my leadership skills. It’s been a really great experience. I love the connections I’ve made and always look forward to it. I’ve learned how important community is to me. Flight Crew has taught me what kind of leader I am, what skills I have, and what I need. I had no idea there were so many kinds of leadership! It’s given me confidence to start bigger things and helped me realize how much I like working with other people, which was kind of a surprise to me as a shy person.

Earn to Learn helped me realize what I want to do and the Flight Crew has helped me figure out how I want to do it. I have found what I was looking for. It's clear to me now just how exciting and fun it is to create things with other people. I want to write and inspire others to create stories and share them, especially people from marginalized communities. I want to see more local young artists working together making art.

I'm happy and relieved that I have direction. I’m launching into the next phase of my life and I’m grateful for all the support from OWL360.

Follow in Eva's path:

Thank You AJ!

Thu, 19 Mar 2026 22:13:32 GMT

Bon Voyage, AJ Schott, OWL360's Longtime Peer Support Ally!

"I don’t think I know how to put into words just how much every person I've worked with, whether for 20 minutes or 2-years, has made me a better person. I feel genuinely lucky to have been a part of their journeys." - AJ

What has been positive about your experience as a Peer Support Ally?

The positives of working as a Peer Support Ally with The Nest has been getting to support strength, recovery, passion, confidence and community within young people in our community. As a person who found a lot of support from peer support specialists I worked with when I was navigating my own mental health and substance use struggles as a teenager, it has felt incredibly rewarding to share my own story and offer the same support that helped empower me when I was younger.

Where are you off to next?

One of my favorite parts of the peer support model has been meeting people where they are, learning people's unique stories and life experiences, and supporting harm reduction tools in one's recovery. After 3 years in my role at The Nest, I have learned that I have a long-term passion for supporting people through vulnerable times, so I have decided to transition out of Jefferson County and go to school for social work at Whatcom Community College. Thank you to OWL360 and our community partners for supporting my journey at The Nest and for making being part of the team such a connective experience!

Do you need support or know someone who needs support? Contact ( derekf@owl360.org ) or click the button below.

Resource Navigation with Care

Thu, 19 Mar 2026 20:20:28 GMT

A Human Centered Pathway at OWL360

Howdy! Derek Firenze here, OWL360's Resource Navigator and Case Care Coordinator. All of those very official sounding words translate into the messy and meaningful work of helping young people find resources, community, and sometimes just the next right step.

When people hear the phrase “resource navigation,” it can sound abstract and bureaucratic. But the reality is much simpler and much more human.

You see, the vast majority of the young people I meet in my work don’t lack motivation. They lack a clear path. They’re bombarded with the same firehose of information we all are through social media, the news, and the complexities of relationship with all the other human beings in their families and social circles. They’re trying to figure out housing, jobs, education, transportation, and mental health. Sometimes all at the same time. When everything feels uncertain, even knowing where to put your feet is a challenge.

That’s where resource navigation comes in.

My job is to walk alongside young people to help them untangle the overwhelm. Sometimes I’m connecting them to housing support, so they have a foundation of safety to build on. Sometimes I’m offering them tools to build a resume or engage in job hunting. Or maybe I’m just sitting down and talking through the goals they’ve been quietly carrying in their head while pointing out manageable steps on the path to their dreams. Often, I walk those first steps alongside them while they build confidence and independence, lending a little grounding from my nervous system while they relax into their power. Always, I’m honored to meet young people in their struggles with unconditional positive regard for the outcome. Mistakes happen, and we can always learn from them.

This is the work of connection. Jefferson County is full of organizations, businesses, and mentors who genuinely want young people to succeed. Through partnerships with those organizations as well as the young people we serve, we’re connecting people to opportunities and services that might otherwise stay hidden. That’s also the hope of HOOT360, the online resource library we built to share what Jefferson County has to offer its youth.

For me, this work is personal. I know what it’s like to feel like the ground under your feet isn’t stable yet. I also know how powerful it is when someone takes the time to say, “Let’s figure this out together.”

And that’s what resource navigation really is. Sitting down with someone, listening to where they are, and helping them take the first real step forward. Folks find their way to start this work with me oftentimes just by walking into The Nest. Or perhaps they pick up one of the toys I like to fiddle with when I’m tabling at schools and other youth programs. I’m also surprisingly happy to receive emails. However a young person crosses my path, I’m grateful to share this journey with them.

In my experience, people usually know more about what they want than they think they do. Sometimes they just need someone willing to slow down, look at the options together, and help turn possibility into a plan.

For more information contact Derek Firenze ( derekf@owl360.org ) or click the button below.

Workforce Development With Heart

Wed, 25 Feb 2026 19:16:07 GMT

An Inspirational Story of Growth and Connection at OWL360

Hello! I’m Sonia Frojen, OWL360’s Workforce Development Program Lead. The past year in this current role has taught me so much about how young adults show up for learning, especially when it’s THEIR choice.

In the summer 2025 ‘ Earn to Learn ’ class, which is a 45-hour career exploration and ‘Adulting 101’ class, students showed up on night one with quiet hesitation. As we met each week to check-in and discuss the week’s topics (career exploration and research, resume writing, interview skills, mindfulness, financial literacy, resource navigation, education resources and more), students started opening up during discussions about work/life balance, the stresses of housing insecurity, mental health challenges, and the group became more than a class - it became a cohesive space where support, acceptance and connection were present.

Community members visited the class each week to bring career-related topics, and host discussions. The young adults were actively building connections in their community through this experience.

A few end of class survey answers when asked “What is the most important thing you learned about yourself in this class?”

“My voice does have power, maybe even more.”
"That I am stronger than I think I am."
"The things I really want to do are realistic"
"That I don't have to live with stress constantly on my back, and that finding the right workspace can even make work seem enjoyable."

What comes after Earn to Learn?

The OWL360 ‘ Level Up’ Internship Program is a 90-hour opportunity for Earn to Learn graduates, and allows interns to earn $1000. OWL360 has three interns actively interning in the first half of 2026.

One intern is learning about floral design, another intern is working at a local furniture maker's woodshop, and another intern is a teacher's aide for the Clemente Course humanities 3-credit class. All of the current interns had identified areas of interest during their 45-hour Earn to Learn for a possible career pathway. As interns, they are making further community connections for work-related learning, building executive function skills by scheduling and attending their weekly shifts, as well as building a mentorship relationship with a local business owner that can guide and support them as young adults after their 90-hour internship ends.

When asked how the OWL360 workforce development program has helped, two current interns said:

“I signed up for Earn To Learn when I had been unsure what the best next step to take in my life would be, OWL360 has helped me grow confidence in myself and the plans I have for the future, as well as given me opportunities in our community I had not considered or known about. I have recently started my Level Up internship and am very grateful for the opportunity. I have learned so much in the last several months and met so many amazing people in the process. I'm very glad that I signed up, this program has been exactly what I needed and greatly increased my hope!”

“Earn to Learn and Level Up have helped connect me to resources and opportunities in Jefferson County, as well as helped me meet some very cool people! Especially since I moved here relatively recently, OWL360 programs have really helped me build a social life and a sense of community & belonging since the move.”

OWL360 offers Earn to Learn twice a year (January through April) and (late July through mid-November). The next cohort begins late July and will take place at The Nest in Uptown Port Townsend. The Level Up Internship is designed around each student, and set up on a case-by-case basis depending on each intern’s ideas. If you are a local business interested in hosting a 90 hour internship, please reach out to us!

To apply for the Earn to Learn and Level Up programs, a student needs to be between 17 and 26 years old, and live in East Jefferson County.

For more information contact Sonia Frojen ( soniaf@owl360.org ) or click the button below.

2026 Woman of Excellence Award

Mon, 23 Feb 2026 22:41:02 GMT

Kelli Parcher Named AAUW's "2026 Woman of Excellence"

We are so proud to announce that OWL360 Executive Director Kelli Parcher has been named AAUW Port Townsend's 2026 Woman of Excellence! Kelli works tirelessly for the young people of Jefferson County, and for her staff. This award serves as a torchlight that signals OWL360 is not just on a mission, but is being lead with heart.

Kelli's Letters of Recommendation Say it All:

Join Kelli as an OWL360 ambassador! Please reach out if you are curious about what that means or what it might look like for you specifically.

EMAIL KELLI: kelliparcher@owl360.org

Please visit AAUW Port Townsend to learn more about their program and what this award means >>