About This Episode

Season 7. Episode 8.

In this episode of Education Insight, we explore the work of Give Something Back, an organization that is helping students overcome some of life’s toughest barriers to education. Many of the students served by Give Back are dealing with homelessness, family instability, or traumatic life circumstances that make pursuing higher education far more complicated than filling out an application.

The organization takes a deeply personal approach, pairing students with dedicated coaches who guide them through every stage of their journey from choosing a college path and applying for financial aid to building confidence and navigating life after graduation. Through regular meetings and long-term mentorship, Give Back focuses not only on academic success but also on helping students develop stability, strong relationships, and a clear sense of direction for their future.

Listeners will also hear about the challenges many students face when trying to stay enrolled in college, including financial pressure, lack of support systems, and uncertainty about career paths. The Give Back model aims to address those barriers by providing consistent guidance and encouragement over time.

This conversation highlights the power of mentorship and the importance of long-term support in helping students move beyond crisis and toward opportunity. By investing in relationships and personalized guidance, Give Back is helping young people not only reach college but thrive well beyond it.

Featured Guest

Dr. Amy Young

National Co-President

Biography

Dr. Amy Young is a lifelong advocate for children and a nationally recognized leader in forensic pediatrics. As Chief of the Division of Forensic Pediatrics at Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital, Dr. Young has served as an expert in the evaluation of child maltreatment cases across the Inland Empire and beyond. For the past two decades she’s collaborated closely with local law enforcement, courts and children and family services, offering expert testimony and working tirelessly to ensure justice and healing for survivors of abuse. As one of less than 400 forensic pediatricians in the country, Dr. Young serves as the Medical Director of the Children’s Assessment Center (CAC) of San Bernardino – one of the largest child advocacy centers in the nation. She has dedicated her career to protecting vulnerable youth and inspiring systemic change, so children feel safe, nurtured and loved. 

Through the examination of thousands of children, Dr. Young learned firsthand the importance of long-term holistic, trauma-informed care for youth. The Resiliency Institute for Childhood Adversity (RICA) was created and founded by Dr. Young to combat rising ACE scores among youth in her community. Her innovative model of care promotes wholeness, resilience and hope for at-promise youth who have faced adversity by integrating medical care, behavioral health services and educational advocacy. Dr. Young was recently awarded a Partner in Educational Excellence by the San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools (SBCSS), as well as Woman of the Year 2025 for California Senate District 19. 

In addition to her clinical and leadership roles, Dr. Young trains the next generation of child abuse pediatricians as Program Director of the Child Abuse Pediatrics Fellowship at her alma mater, Loma Linda University – only one of such programs in the nation. Dr. Young lends her wealth of experience and unwavering commitment to youth through her role as National Co-President of Give Something Back, a national nonprofit that provides long-term coaching and support to college- and career-bound youth who have experienced significant barriers, from foster care to the incarceration of a parent. Dr. Young’s enduring impact is rooted in her unshakable belief that every child deserves the opportunity to heal, thrive and succeed. Through her work, she continues to champion resilience, education and a brighter future for the next generation.