About Us
Our History
Stimac Youths & Associates (SYA) is an organization focused on providing career development opportunities for young people. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, SYA offers programs that aim to prepare youth for the workforce by enhancing their skills, providing job experiences, and helping them gain the confidence needed to succeed in professional environments.
Key initiatives of SYA include:
⦁ Summer Youth Program: SYA connects local businesses with young people aged 16 to 25, providing them with 8 weeks of on-the-job experience.This program helps young people gain valuable work experience and build their professional networks.
⦁ Career Preparation Services: SYA provides career readiness training to help youth develop important skills such as resume writing, interview preparation, communication, and goal setting. Their programs focus on self-awareness, appearance, and other factors that contribute to success in job interviews.
⦁ Job Placement Services: SYA offers a job posting platform for employers to list open positions and connect them with qualified young candidates. They also offer various membership options for employers to advertise job openings.
⦁ Competitions: One of SYA’s major initiatives is organizing events like the “Ace My Job Interview Competition,” a competition that searches for top high school seniors across the Atlanta area, offering – CASH PRIZES – INTERNSHIPS -access to our ONLINE JOB READINESS platform.
SYA is committed to empowering youth, especially in underserved communities, by providing valuable resources and opportunities for growth, self-improvement, and future career success.
Breaking Barriers, Setting Standards
The Ace My Job Interview Competition is looking for 12th-grade students who demonstrate the following qualities to enter:
⦁ Strong Communication Skills – Ability to express thoughts clearly and professionally.
⦁ Confidence & Professionalism – Poise, self-assurance, and readiness for the workforce.
⦁ Career Readiness – Understanding of resume development, interview techniques, and workplace etiquette.
⦁ Leadership & Initiative – Ability to take charge, think critically, and problem-solve.
⦁ Goal-Oriented Mindset – Clear career aspirations and a plan to achieve them.
⦁ Work Ethic & Dedication – Commitment to learning, improving, and preparing for future opportunities.
⦁ Self-Awareness & Presentation – Understanding strengths, weaknesses, and the importance of appearance in professional settings.
The competition aims to identify top-performing students who are prepared for professional success, with the winners receiving cash prizes and a six-month paid internship opportunity.
If you are interested in partnering with us, please contact us through our Contact Us page. One of our team members will reach out to you soon!
By donating to our cause or giving your time, you can help us make a lasting impact on the lives of young people. Your support allows us to provide career development programs, job readiness training, and mentorship opportunities for youth striving for a brighter future. Join us in empowering the next generation!
The Visionary Behind Stimac Youths & Associates (SYA)
Sherquel S. Sands-Stimac | Founder
Sherquel S. Sands-Stimac is a passionate advocate for career development, youth empowerment, and transformational change. As the Founder and President of Stimac Youths & Associates (SYA), she has dedicated her life to helping individuals—especially young people and career-seekers—build confidence, strengthen their mindset, and gain the tools needed to secure meaningful employment and long-term success.
Sherquel’s journey into career coaching and youth development began with her own powerful story of resilience. Early in her professional career, she faced a defining moment where overwhelm, lack of support, and constant organizational pressure nearly pushed her to walk away from the corporate world forever. Instead of quitting, she chose to rise. She transformed her frustration into fuel and discovered her calling guiding others through change with purpose, clarity, and confidence.
This pivotal experience became the foundation of Stimac Youths & Associates.
Through SYA, Sherquel offers job-readiness workshops, coaching programs, interview training, resume development, job-placement assistance, and motivational sessions that touch lives across Atlanta, Fort Lauderdale, and The Bahamas. She is known for her ability to connect deeply with individuals, helping them reshape their beliefs, strengthen their emotional resilience, and see themselves as capable of achieving more.
Sherquel’s leadership extends beyond coaching—she is a recruiter, entrepreneur, motivational speaker, and community builder who has worked across diverse industries including security, aviation, customer service, healthcare, media, and technology. Her multi-industry experience gives her a unique perspective on workforce needs and the qualities employers are truly seeking.
In every room she enters, Sherquel brings authenticity, heart, and a commitment to seeing people win. Whether she is training a group of first-time job seekers, supporting corporate teams through change, or empowering youth to discover their potential, she leads with the belief that every person deserves a chance to grow, succeed, and rewrite their story.
Sherquel S. Sands-Stimac is not just building a company, but she is building a movement. A movement centered on confidence, opportunity, and purpose. A movement that is transforming lives, one workshop, one coaching session, and one success story at a time.
Our program covers
- Introduction
- Career Preparation
- Getting to know yourself
- Who are you? • Self-Reflection
- Strengths & Weaknesses
- Benefits in having confidence
- What is confidence
- What are your focus points
- Level of awareness
- Life purpose, Gifts, Skills & Talents
- What do you want for your life?
- I messed up-Can I start over
- Your personal Style and goal setting
- Skills leaders have
- Goal setting
- Application and interview process
- Let’s get ready for your first interview
- How do you manage your nervousness in a job interview?
- The interview processes
- Before the interview
- Common interview questions
- Interview Do`s and Don’ts
- After the interview
- Additional questions you need to consider
- Customer service
- The path to success • Five characteristics of a successful businessperson
- What characteristic describes your personality!
- Reasons why people are afraid to succeed
- Why do people fail?
Reasons why you should be successful
Vulnerable young people who are trafficked and exploited by gangs to distribute drugs are still too often perceived to have ‘made a choice’ and are therefore criminalized rather than safeguarded and recognized as victims of the gangs who control them.
Graduation is over now what?
Before I started college, I spent months deciding between majoring in graphic design or political science. I chose graphic design. I did that for a semester before realizing it wasn’t my thing, then transferred schools and started a political science program. I did that for a couple of years before moving over to creative writing. I graduated seven years later with 40 more credits than I needed and a solid case of burnout. I had no idea what I wanted to do, and nobody told me it’d be okay to take some time off or just skip declaring a major until I figured things out.
What if You Can’t Get a Job After College?
College graduates leave school with a degree in their hands and enthusiasm for the career they want to build. But when they start looking for employment in earnest, sometimes getting that career started doesn’t go as well as planned. Fortunately, there are things you can do if your job hunt stalls. Find out why you may be having trouble landing a job after graduation. Plus, get expert perspectives on common mistakes recent grads make, and discover tips to stay motivated when morale is low.
Everything starts with you
The single most important attribute to becoming successful is self-discipline. It helps you stay focused on reaching your goals, gives you the gumption to stick with difficult tasks, and allows you to overcome obstacles and discomfort as you push yourself to new heights.
What to expect from career coaching?
From a good career coaching service, you should develop the tools and methodologies to solve any conflict or doubt regarding your career. In general terms and depending on the program objective, after going through a career coaching program, you should be able to: Find your sweet spot Gain career confidence and inspiration Be able to pitch yourself in a compelling manner Know your next career step and how to work towards it Be able to highlight your strengths and minimize your weaknesses.
