Encouraging Exploration

By Marc-Damon Smith

Some of the young people in YouthBuild do not currently aspire to attend college after they earn their GED. We respect the personal choices of all our students, but encourage them to fully explore all of their options before making decisions.

In January, NJCDC organized a campus tour of Rutgers Newark for the young people participating in a variety of our programs. I brought the YouthBuild students in hopes that they would see first hand how different college is from high school. The guides and NJCDC staff explained the admissions process, campus life, and the different majors and programs.

Rob, one of my YouthBuild participants, began walking along side of me and asking very specific questions. I was shocked! Rob is very intelligent, but has previously expressed that he has no interest in ever attending college. Rob started to seriously consider the possibility and as he was boarding the bus to return to Paterson said, “ I might give this college thing a shot.”

Our mission may seem vague at times, but I think this day was a perfect example of what “creating opportunities to transform lives,” really means. To see Rob consider going to college is a success all in itself. When he started YouthBuild he just wanted his GED and nothing else. But with a few months of hard work and one campus tour, Rob is considering college as a viable option for his future.