The Youthworks program allows the Milford Youth Center to hire local youth while helping them build the skills they need to enter the workforce. Miguel De’ Oliveria participated in the Youthworks program from 2023 to 2025. During that time, he graduated from Milford High School and was accepted to the University of New England, where he is majoring in Sports Leadership and Management and minoring in Coaching and plays on the
men’s soccer team. As the new grant cycle began, the Milford Youth Center looked for staff to supervise the upcoming year’s programming. The team sought someone who understood the program, had strong local ties, and could use the position to support future career goals. After meeting with Miguel, everyone agreed he was the perfect fit.
Miguel began with Youthworks in 2023 during his senior year of high school, working at the Milford Youth Center site as a camp counselor. In that role, he supported children during on-site and off-site activities, helping ensure they had a safe, engaging, and enjoyable camp experience. Through that opportunity, Miguel later became a rental staff member, overseeing and managing the building after hours during paid Center programming. He was invited back for two additional years and took on 
multiple leadership roles, including running programs independently. Miguel also volunteered his time to support the Holiday Toy Drive, returning from school to assist the team. His growth has been remarkable, and the staff has watched him mature into a confident leader both on the soccer field and within the Youthworks program.
Upon returning from his study-abroad experience, Miguel stepped confidently into the Youthworks Supervisor position. He managed training, site visits, youth coordination, and Tier 2 Signal Success, contributing to the program’s success. Drawing on three years of firsthand experience as a participant, he introduced thoughtful improvements that expanded the summer program’s reach and strengthened its impact on local youth. The Milford Youth Center believes every young person who walks through its door deserves the opportunity to thrive. Miguel reflects that mission through his dedication to
the Center, his care for local youth, and his commitment to the community he calls home.
Here is Miguel’s Story in His Own Words:
“My name is Miguel De Oliveira, I am a current college student athlete at the University of New England playing soccer, and this summer after a few years of being a youth worker part of the Youthworks program, I was able to be given the opportunity to become a supervisor for it. I started with the program as a summer camp counselor while I was in high school at the MYC. Being a part of the program allowed me to learn a lot about myself and about how to be in the workplace. Not only did it help with workplace skills, but it allowed me to gain skills for everyday life that not all people are able to learn about. The program also allowed us to 
have presentations from various people that have different careers and come from different backgrounds, this allowed for all of us to see that anything is possible and that we may want to do things in our future careers that we may not have known about before. I have used those skills that I learned in the Youthworks program in so many different situations being a college student, and now also a supervisor. With this opportunity I got to be the supervisor, it gave me a new view on a lot of things and introduced me to many new skills that are going to be beneficial in my future. In the future I want to pursue coaching and eventually have my own club
soccer team to run. Being a supervisor lets me look behind the scenes and plan everything that goes on for the youth workers within the program. Whether being a youth worker or a supervisor, I’m gaining skills with this like leadership, mentoring, adaptability, and communication that are not only good everyday skills, but skills that are very needed in the career I want to pursue in my life. This program and the people that are part of it like Emily, Jen, Joanna, and David are a very big reason on how I’ve grown from a teenager just trying to work to get some money to be able to do day to day things with friends, to an adult college student-athlete preparing to start and build a career for my future.”