To the Youth Behind the Walls

To the Youth Behind the Walls

Jeffery Young

The thing I enjoyed the most about high school, was roaming the halls during class time. I didn’t appreciate knowledge, nor did I understand how less frustrating life could be with more knowledge, understanding, and wisdom.

My last report card in high school had 0.94 GPA. I had a counselor who pressured me to sign-up for college, despite my poor academic performance in high school lucky for me. There are colleges that give students like me a second chance. I ended up attending the great historically Black College Grambling State University. My first report card was a 4.0. I did something I didn’t do in high school, applied myself. I proved that what I did in my past didn’t have to determine my future. I started thinking about my future, believing I could have one and it changed how I lived my life in the present. You have a future. You can live long enough to obtain it. It may look like everyone around you is dying, or your community is too corrupt for you to escape. But everywhere, a star is born out of chaos you must believe you can that be star. Part of that belief, must come from inspiration. Read about people who have come circumstances similar to yours and see how they birthed the star within themselves. Nelson Mandela, Malcolm X, Wilma Rudolph, Frederick Douglas, Daniel Williams Mae Jemison, Gabby Douglas, Barrack Obama. There are many starts to choose from. Choose education over activities that result in incarceration. If school isn’t teaching you, go to a library. Its free. You can become a master at what ever you desire. You can make that change just as I did with my GPA and college is a lot more exciting than hanging in the high school hallways!