Youth Quote Search

• Pathways
• Steps and stages

“Today and then my tests for my trade school that I want to join — it is a trade school to become a sonogram technician…It is a 4 hour test. I have to study for that…I am thinking because this trade school is only a year, I honestly – right now I am working. Probably 3 years…[After that,] [p]assing the classes. Obviously you have to be on top of it, so there is only a certain percentage that gets graduation that gets a job. You can easily get a job. The reason I haven’t gotten into school yet is because my stepdad makes a lot of money and financial aid doesn’t cover, so out of pocket I will need like 650 a month with the extra bills I have. I just got my braces off so I had to pay for that. Then internship is after. You do clinicals after you do your generals and stuff. You do internships, clinicals and stuff, and then graduation. Then you work on your resume, interviews and then [you are] sonogram technician.”

• Education
• Perceptions of college and postsecondary

“Some people went to school and were unable to complete their schooling or got a degree in something that is relatively useless…I feel that some degrees can be useless to some people – an English degree when you decide you want to go into science, etc. I know many people that have done this that come to regret the time they consider wasted at college. A few of my friends spent years and a fortune going into pre-med or pre-law only to decide it’s not for them and now regret going to college to begin with.”

• Impact of peers
• Pathways

“[Support from my friend looks like] Helping you when you are stuck, don’t know what to do, and comforting you when you are low.”

• Challenges and Barriers
• Naysayers and bullying

“I feel like your friends see you as one person, but your family sees you as another. So I feel like your family does help out a lot, but, at the same time, they can want something else for you and that is what they want. You have to do it or pick your own choice, I guess…Not my personal family like my mom or dad, but I do have an uncle who wants me to go into the Air Force to be an R.N., but I am not sure. Most of the time I am like okay and then brush it off.”

• Characterizations of a bad job
• Understanding Job/Work/Career

“A trucker…Because it’s just after a little while, it gets boring because, yeah, like usually you’re riding solo. Like if I knew I wasn’t going to ride solo every time I drove, it would be interesting, but like, yeah.”

• Characterizations of a good job
• Understanding Job/Work/Career

[Characteristics of a Good Job]: “Oh, I could never be a receptionist.”

• Perceptions of the term 'work'
• Understanding Job/Work/Career

“Happy making money.”

• Aspirations and Goals
• Imagining their future selves

“At 70 years I guess I’d be living in Florida and looking over the ocean at the sunset with my husband next to me. He is old and gray too. We’re just chillin, being ourselves but just 70 years old. Taking it easy, I guess, or maybe I could be more active. Who knows? I can’t really predict the future.”

• Aspirations and Goals
• Imagining their future selves

“[At 25] I want to be attending med school. Important people are my mom and my brother. Working at a hospital, and I am going to be studying, having fun with friends. Working at the hospital. Live close to where I work. I am not sure where but close to there. Around 45 I am going to be a doctor already, preferably a heart surgeon, and I am going to be having my own place with a family and doing research at the hospital as well.”

• Internship, mentor, and training
• Learning About Work

“Internship at group home.”