Betsy Caraballo

Career Pathway Program Manager, Allied Health, Hartford Public High School

betsy.caraballo@readyCT.org

Betsy Caraballo joined ReadyCT in 2019 as the internship coordinator. Now in the role of career pathway program manager, Betsy combines her passion for education with workforce development, focusing on youth ages 14 to 18. In her work, Betsy often draws on her own experience — growing up in inner city Boston, Betsy had the opportunity to participate in various college prep programs, including Urban Scholars, UMass-Boston, and Upward Bound, University of Maine-Orono. These opportunities allowed her to envision herself in college, and Betsy was in fact the first member of her family (immediate and extended) to attend college. Thus, the passion she brings to the work stems from her education experience, inclusive of the mentorship she received from influential adults throughout her journey.

Betsy holds a B.A. (biology) from Emmanuel College (Boston, MA). She began her teaching career (science) in Springfield, MA and taught at all high school levels for seven years; for two of those years she was a senior class advisor. Betsy relocated to Hartford, CT in 2007 and worked with the New England Farm Workers Council as both an ESL instructor for farm workers and as a summer youth program coordinator (ages 14 to 18). In late 2008, she was promoted to workforce development manager and oversaw several federal and state employment and training grants working with youth and adults in CT, MA, RI, and NH. Betsy resides in Hartford, CT with her husband, three kids, and two dogs.

“My passion for youth education and readiness extends from my personal experience as a young adult. I grew up in a Spanish-speaking home with two parents who were hard working, caring, and supportive, but they lacked English language skills, education, and the ability to advocate for my sister and me at school. We learned early on that we had to advocate for ourselves and find opportunities to help us achieve our education and career goals. This work is just so meaningful to me.”