Youth Quote Search

• Challenges and Barriers
• Personal traits and experiences

“For the struggles I put money and myself like mental health.”

• Impact of family
• Pathways

“…so like having support from like [my brother] to help me get through basic. Or even my dad and mom have been through it. They’ve experienced ups and down in their careers, so…”

• Impact of family
• Pathways

“So like my dad, he always pushed us towards like technology because he’s like, you know, this is what’s coming up. That’s where all the money is going to be, eventually, is in like just working on phones or, you know, something electronic or whatever. And, you know, him being a diesel mechanic, he’s only 40 years old, and, well, 42, and he’s pretty beat up. He’s got a broken back. His hands hurt all the time. He’s got tennis elbow, if anyone knows what that is…And, you know, he’s always hurting and stuff, and he’s like, you just need to do something easy that will make you a lot of money, which most technological things do. So that’s kind of where he’s always pushed, like that, or for me. It was mainly to be like a service writer at a diesel shop or something because all I would do is all the computer work…”

• Education
• Perceptions of college and postsecondary

“A drawback would be having to take time out to perfect a career you want in the near future, leaving you with limited time to offer at any other job because your trying to complete a goal at the end of the day so that job that you just work for, for money is put secondary. Only because when having my head in the game I must allow myself to progress in my goal and if that means limiting the time I have to offer to a regular job so be it.”

• Reflections on Focus Group Experience
• Takeaways

“Probably that my game of Life is very big, and I don’t really like know what I want. And I’m very stressed by that. Like I don’t really know like what I’m doing or if I’m going to like what I’m doing…”

• Education
• Perceptions of college and postsecondary

“Some people say they like the parties and how you can sometimes choose when you want to go to class.”

• Pathways
• Steps and stages

“Well, when you’re in nursing school or any medical profession, you do clinicals while you’re learning. So, you go to different hospitals or wherever and you practice there, and you’re supervised by a nurse that’s higher above you. And the people that own there—the managers and stuff—they’ll see that you’re working hard and, hopefully, they’ll offer you jobs. So, I have jobs lined up in different areas.”

• Pathways
• Steps and stages

“Today, I’m an esthetician and then later I thought I would work at my current spa for a few years and then keep up-to-date with any new facial procedures and the world of aesthetics, keep attending seminars to learn new gadgets. Then become manager of the spa. I don’t know if it will be the spa I am working at now or a different spa. Become a manager of a spa so I can learn the ropes in becoming an owner. On the side, I’d like to do lash extensions. Then I take a course in business ownership or go back to college for business just to gain more knowledge. Then later on I will have to come up with the kind of spa I might open like a theme. I notice a lot of spas that have a theme in common. Then research on building locations, bases for my own space and leave the spa that I have been managing and spa owner.”

• Learning About Work
• Trying on professions

“I haven’t try anything yet but I work at a part time job in fast food chain and this job isn’t that bad for me because it helps me to pay for my school.”

• Reflections on Focus Group Experience
• Takeaways

“If an opportunity that interests you comes up, you don’t know how long or how short that is going to be and you should risk it and take it, if you are confident enough because in the end if you don’t choose that path, you might regret it later on. If you do, you are like this worked out and if it doesn’t, you know the next time maybe just don’t – make it a career. Like okay I didn’t really like this career. You can go somewhere else.”