Welcome to new Step Up Level 2 Director Yakasah Wehyee

We’re delighted to introduce Yakasah Wehyee (he/him), who has joined the Achieve team as our new director of Step Up Level 2. Yakasah collaborates with the City of Minneapolis and other program partners to align Step Up’s overall program vision and strategy, and directs all aspects of Step Up Level 2, which serves Step Up youth participants age 16-21.

Yakasah is an experienced community builder with a strong commitment to working cross-functionally to expand youth access to postsecondary education and career opportunities. He has served in community engagement and youth program management with All Parks Alliance for Change, Project for Pride in Living, the McVay Youth Program and the YMCA of the Greater Twin Cities.

As a community leader, he also serves on the City of Falcon Heights city council. He holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in political science from the University of Minnesota and is currently completing his doctorate in political science at the university.

Yakasah says he enjoys taking on challenges and leading teams to work toward a common goal. He adds that “equipping youth with the resources and tools they need to become self-sufficient adults is the mark of a healthy society. I’m very proud to be a new member of the Achieve Step Up team.”

Yakasah moves into the position formerly held by Jeremiah Brown, who is now in a new role at Achieve as Senior Director of Internships and Partnerships, in which he oversees Step Up and Achieve College Internships programs and Achieve’s external engagement strategies.