Crossroads Community College

This blue house my uncle used to own that house. I remember when he first bought it first time I first operated some machinery. Um. It was actually quite interesting. To run a bobcat for the first time. Haul brick when we re-did the basement. Ever since then I had kind of a little fetish running heavy machines, like. After that, like, that’s just what I wanted to do. I ran my first bobcat slash skid loader probably around the age 8 years old. (Driving3, Jan. 31)
 
I can’t show what I be doing because I ended up getting laid off or let go due to me having to go to school. They wanted me full time but I ended up having to go part time. Um. It wasn’t too much, a few hours, and that’s all I needed and they just weren’t understanding with that. So, yeah. Go on with the school thing. (Driving1, Jan. 28)
 
Teachers had a prediction about how I was going to turn out. By 25 incarcerated. . . . Certain teachers would call my house . . . I had ADHD, and anger issues. I had abandonment issues growing up.  So I guess that played a role. Some people don’t knonw how to handle something like that when it’s standing right in front of them. Yeah, so those were some rough years.   (Driving6, Feb. 6)
 
For the first time, I’ve never had that. This is a whole knew experience.  I honestly don’t know how to really take it. It’s something I’ve never had. No one’s every taken the time to sit down and teach me things. (Interview, Feb. 6)
 
A whole lot of messed up stuff. Pretty much all stripped away. One cop. One ticket. . . . Because I got a negligent driving. Said I was trying to run. Stays on my record for 55 years. So that knocks me out of that career for life. . I’ve mentioned being homelss a few times. I chose this park bec when I was homeless this was the type of parks I used to . . . I used to stay at whenever the police couldn’t find me. You know after hours you weren’t supposed to be. Really breifly about my homess experience. It was hard. It was difficult. It was cold.   (Picnic table, Feb. 15)
 
I lost everything during the time I was homeless. I had it in storage. People who come along and want to buy it, they really don’t care about what the other person is losing and don’t want to put off . They don’t want to be in someone else’s shoes and think about it.  (Picnic table, Feb. 15)
 
Ms. Gall kind of reached out to me, helped me out. I wasn’t getting quite the hang of it. She said to holler, and I hollered at her. And she helped me out. Ms. Gall and Phip, they make me feel good as a student. They make me want to keep pushing. . . . I wanted to call it quits. And just turn it in. They reach out and actually make me feel like I am somebody. (Picnic table, Feb. 15)
 
I think it’s hard for African Americans to stick with school because of some of the things we face, some of the things are good, some of them are bad. Like a lot of African Americans don’t stay in school is pretty much because of the street game. .. The activities out here. Like, some people can’t go through school with their friends out here, they want you to get out here and get into illegal activities or just be out partying, chasing females. . . When you’re friends constantly bug you about that. (Picnic table, Feb. 15)
 
A lot of people in the black community . . . I don’t think they’re really too confident for who they can be. It’s like society sets a low standard for us. And I think the African Americans, I think we take that to heart. Some people have family. . . .
How the world projects us, how we look at the world. Like going to high school I never dropped out, but I felt like I just didn’t belong. The school set low standards for us. That’s my opinion. It’s just one of them factors. (Picnic table, Feb. 15)
 
More people should look at school and try to succed and give it a shot. There’s really nothing out here in this economy. . . . A lot of jobs look at it if you don’t have the school, we don’t look at you. I think that’s a bad deal. (Picnic table, Feb. 15)