For this month’s Staff Spotlight, we recognize Andrew Palomo, the Program Supervisor at our Maternity Group Home. Andrew was recently chosen to serve on the National Runaway and Homeless Youth Training and Technical Center (RHYTTAC) Advisory Board. Being on this advisory board will allow Andrew to offer input on how the RHYTTAC can most effectively support the work being done by federally funded Runaway and Homeless Youth grantees. This board will also provide Andrew with the opportunity to share his insights on emerging issues and trends in the RHY field. Andrew will serve on the board for a two year term.

Andrew has worked at Valley Youth House since 2005, starting as a Resident Advisor in our Independent Living Program. He had just recently graduated from Villanova University with a degree in Biology, and thought working at VYH would be a good transitional job as he waited for an opening in his field. However, he quickly fell in love with working with the youth and staff in the IL Programs. He soon decided to pursue the rest of his education in social work.

In 2011, Andrew’s passion for working with youth took him to Panama, where he interned for UNICEF in order to study the impact of new social protection programs on children in Latin America. Andrew would later be chosen to be a Fulbright-Clinton Public Policy Fellow from 2013-2014, traveling to Guatemala. He worked as a special assistant to continue researching social protection programs for children in Latin America. He would eventually present his year-long project to members of Congress, and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

While continuing his Doctorate in Philosophy on the Social Work Policy track at Fordham University, Andrew continues his work at Valley Youth House as a Research and Evaluation Coordinator. Andrew says that working in this position allows him to combine the two fields he loves – doing social science research and evaluations, while working with youth. When asked about why he loves to work at Valley Youth House, Andrew replied that he “wants to make a difference.” Andrew has worked with incredible organizations over the years and we are grateful that he is sharing his experiences here at Valley Youth House.

Andrew’s journey is nothing short of incredible, and we are extremely fortunate to have him on our team. Keep up the great work, Andrew!