Youth Quote Search

• Impact of race, ethnicity, gender, culture
• Pathways

“[W]e’re heavily recruited. So I been to so many different corporate settings like, okay, you know, with Bank of America, with Deloitte, with just all of these different firms. And I am not that Uncle Tom person. I’m far from it. But I’m also very articulate and clear in what I say. So just knowing that there is a way to infiltrate these spaces and not be seen as like someone who’s just kind of like a troublemaker, but just a truth seeker, someone who is an advocate. Just making that distinction for yourself and not being afraid of whatever, you know. I don’t really care what people think of me as long as they respect me, as long you as know that I am a respectful person, but I’m also not one to be overlooked or just kind of ignored.”

• Attributes and characteristics
• Describing Identity

“I am funny, loving, considerate, impatient, kind, adaptive, easy going and smart.”

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

“Money.”

• Comparing and contrasting 'job' 'work' and 'career'
• Understanding Job/Work/Career

“So like job, I’d say just something you’re kind of going through just to pass the time by, usually part time, I would consider like a job. A career is more something you work for. And like [Participant] was saying, work is kind of like a physical thing you would do.”

• Aspirations and Goals
• Inspiration and motivations

“[I want to teach because] I love little kids. They are sweethearts…”

• Impact of personal attributes and characteristics
• Pathways

“Honesty, as it made me realize that if I want to achieve this and that, I can’t give up so quick and act the way I do or else I’m going to lose every time.”

• Education
• Perceptions of high school

“For me [High School] had a positive impact because it helped prepare me for college. [On the negative side] I think there was a lot of peer pressure with friends, and some people made bad decisions that affected the rest of their life. For me personally it did not affect me negatively.”

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

“I just said kids, money, early, short term, and my job, lifetime.”

• Aspirations and Goals
• Imagining their future selves

“At 25, 6 years from now, so hopefully I either have my bachelors or masters in accounting or finance. I don’t know which one I am going towards first. Probably living in Ft. Myers, mostly because I go to school there and I familiarized myself with the area. I will probably be working at something. I see myself starting my life with my significant other and probably living [in] an apartment somewhere. At 45 hopefully by then I have had some peace of mind. I am still employed.”

• Impact of peers
• Pathways

“I see the same as him. You know, if they help me, they help me. And if they’re not, and they’re just getting in the way or they don’t really, you know, affect me at all like because now I see it like I’m going to go to college soon. And I see my friends like, oh, they’re still messing around. They’re not maturing. They want me to go have fun with them, but that’s just getting in the way of my schoolwork. You know, I’m trying to better my life. And I have those friends that are there. You know, they’re doing their own thing. They’re not, you know, they’re just there. We’re friends. And then I have, you know, people that I’m really close with, and they’re pushing me. They’re like, oh, you’re going to get to college, you know, because sometimes I do have doubts about college even though I know I’m going to get accepted either because I’ve already been accepted to multiple colleges. And then I recently got last night was from Idaho. So I was like, okay, I know I’m going to get there, but I still get wary. But then I have those friends that help me. They’re like pushing me. Like you can still do this…I’ve helped them, and they’re helping me…Yeah, verbal and at the same time, they’re just by my side as well on my journey.”