Welcome to the Striving to Thriving Youth Quote Library. Here you’ll find a curated collection of more than 5,700 quotes from young people ages 15-22 living in communities across the United States. In the library you can see how young people describe their multifaceted identities, how they understand and apply meaning to language around job, work and career, how they think about and assign value to relationships, networking and connections, and their future goals and the education and career choices they believe will lead them there. You can also view additional notes on curation, categories and filters.
“We are a target, the Blacks. You are a target out here. Most of us have been working hard since we came out of the womb. We never had it easy. We didn’t get our first job when we turned 15 or 16. We have been at a job; we’ve been working.”
“Yeah…having more social capital might help me build more connections, but I think it was more like, being a conversationalist and being good at talking. But it’s think it’s the direction of business connections, is it? So, I changed it to more opportunities, and that’s the biggest thing about social capital, having more opportunities. Yeah, and just having more routes you can go. That’s the most important thing, being able to – because nowadays, a lot of people, so many people got here without a bachelor’s, some here did, but the fact that you don’t need one at all to [get] into a position at all to get into a business like this is crazy to me. But this is just the power of connections, nowadays. And, yeah. Yes. I said that I had a good social capital, if that makes sense. I’d probably say, I have a lot of connections…I feel like social capital and connections might be the same, the same exact translation to each other. So, yeah.”
“Being able to switch and be flexible with your career – I didn’t write down flexible. I put that for job, but I totally agree with you on flexibility because my aunt, she was a therapist or something and she is like I don’t want to do this anymore. I want to sell jewelry now. So she switched over and started making her own jewelry.”
“Online, connection and business cards.”
“A job with benefits.”
“Money [is a barrier]. Because like I said with modeling, I’m investing in myself to do like photo shoots. These photo shoots is not cheap. Like you got to get hair and makeup. And for me, since like I know a lot of models don’t like have their nails polished, I have to have my nails polished. And…they charge a lot. If you want to do a studio, or you want to do it somewhere. Or like even your clothes, that’s a lot of money. And even for human resources and school, school is not cheap.”
“Some challenges I may face are having to do a lot of studying. I may have to overcome not wanting to study in order to stay on this pathway.”
“Even though I have always loved doing stuff, I am respectful to my parents. Well on Sunday we are doing this with the family. My friends invited me but I go yeah but I can’t because I’m going to do this with my family. I know my limits. I can see my friends cutting someone but I will be like dude no, they were in line. Even though I am down to do everything, there is some I am no, you shouldn’t…my dad is really strict.”
“Hours.”
“My parents have been the biggest supporters of me. My boyfriend (now husband) has also been there throughout high school and beyond. Having some close friends I can trust has been critical. Finally, the great educators who have seen my potential and worked with me have been key.”