Yusef Young

Yusef Young, a native of Essex County, NJ (East Orange; Irvington), is a graduate of East Orange High School, Class of 2000. Shortly after high school, he attended William Paterson University before joining the Army. He served four years at Fort Bragg, NC, achieving the rank of Specialist (E4). His Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) was a 31L, now known as a 25L, which is a Cable System Installer and Maintainer. During his service, he was deployed to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. As a result of injuries sustained from opposing forces, he was awarded the Purple Heart, the oldest military award in the United States.

Yusef has resided in North Carolina for over 20 years and has been employed by the Veteran Affairs Medical Center for 12 years. He earned an Associate of Applied Science in Building Construction Technology from Fayetteville Technical Community College in 2018 and is currently pursuing a Bachelor’s degree with a concentration in Entrepreneurship at Fayetteville State University. Within the Keep It Real Foundation, he serves as co-secretary and a member of the Public Relations committee.