In Good Company
Returning CAW Youth Apprentices share their experiences.
Every summer, we’re proud to welcome back returning youth apprentices and see how much they’ve grown. When we asked what brought them back, they all had more than one reason, but every single one mentioned that their teammates were a big part of what makes a summer job with CAW special.
Here are a few of their stories, in their own words.
Ashley Benavides
“One reason why I returned is because I've kind of switched career paths, in part because of my experience with CAW last year. This year, I decided to follow my passions, especially with marketing and digital media. So I feel like coming here and working with this team to create materials for the League of Women Voters is going to open more doors for me, especially having that on my résumé. Last year, I really loved that we got to create something real for New York State Family Court. Seeing my artwork in the guidebook – I'm really grateful for that opportunity because, wow! my artwork was showcased and it's all over New York at this point.”
Kelsy Del Valle
“I think this is one of the best experiences that I've had. I feel like it's helped me grow not only as an individual person and socially, but as a professional. I met a lot of different people that I feel like I wouldn't have talked to otherwise. This is a very creative group with great ideas, but sometimes they're such different ideas and we have to come to a consensus – how can we have a piece of everyone's idea in this big project? I've also been able to develop a lot of leadership skills. I’ve grown a lot.”
Dani Tyler-Zimmerman
"What brought me back was the people. I get to meet a lot of people,and I get to make new friends, and I get to expand my social circle, which is something that I've really been meaning to do for a while. I would say this program definitely gives your creativity direction. I just want to see where being creative takes me in life."
Star Blakney
“I'm a photography major at Howard University. When I went through my first year with CAW, I found not only a great connection with my own art as a photographer and as a creative designer, but also I made a lot of great connections with my fellow YAs and with the TAs. People such as [fellow YA] K.C., and people like [CAW Teaching Artist] Amrita Singh inspired me not only to advance my art, but also allow myself to be more creative and more outspoken. For someone who is an artist, I think this is one of, if not the best, program to develop your artistry and allow yourself to be immersed with other artists.”
K.C. Clark
“I like the friendly environment and the opportunity to learn new things. You have some people who have no experience and you have people with lots of experience, but they all come together and use each other's strength to try to create something. So, because of that experience, I wanted to come back, meet some more people, and get some more working experience. It makes the entire experience of learning new skills way better, especially if you have people that you can build a connection with.”
Catherine Cardosa
"What made me come back? I would say the program brings people together. Last year, none of us knew each other. And then at some point we just started coloring, started expressing our own designs, and I guess that's what brought us all together. Especially the games that we created last year. A lot of our games brought the whole team together. Creative Art Works gave me an opportunity to speak out, show my voice. And now I'm not as nervous to speak in public or to others. And it's just like, wow! I'm a different person than I was last year."
From YA to TAAiT
Cayden Colorado
“I think working for CAW has opened up new possibilities. I have people in my family who are art teachers and therapists, so I think I may want to go for an art therapy degree or even become an art teacher. I'm curious as to where I'll be in 10 years from now.”
We are committed to developing talent from within. From time to time, we promote a standout YA to become a Teaching Artist Assistant-in-Training. Cayden Colorado was a YA at Manhattan Family Court in 2024 and BXP in 2025. This year, he is a TAAiT at New York Metropolitan Transportation Council. We took a moment to sit down with Cayden and ask about his experience so far.
What made you come back to CAW?
“I'm very passionate about art. And I love how you meet different people, yet you create a little family, even if it's just for six weeks. My BXP teammates Matthew and Cindy and I still talk till this day. So, it’s really cool to see people from our old teams come back to work together.”
This year you are a TAiT. How has that been different?
“When Donna offered me the position as Teaching Artist Assistant-in-Training, I was like, "Well, hold on! Hold on! Slow down. I'm a little scared right now." It's like one day you’re a student and then suddenly you’re the teacher. But I loved being able to say ‘yes’ and take on a new type of responsibility, because I feel like I'm confident in myself. And clearly I feel like a lot of the YAs can connect with me, talk with me and feel safe and seen.”