Growing Up In The Projects: “A Part Of Who I Am”

Like most kids raised in the projects, my goal is to get out. But it’s not that easy. Growing up in my neighborhood, I’ve seen dice games. I've seen drugs users. Deals gone bad. People carry beefs that can follow you, even if you move away. It’s frustrating. But sometimes, being stuck together here isn’t all bad. We’ve been through dirt and mud. We help each other out. Once, a neighbor saved me from a shooting. I was about to hop in a car with another guy. But before I could leave, my neighbor pulled on my shirt. I didn’t know him too well. But he said, "Don’t go." The way he looked at me made me pay attention. So I got out of the car. Later on, the car was shot up in a drive by. The passenger side had bullet holes. I would have been sitting right there. My neighborhood will always be a part of who I am. But that doesn’t stop me from trying to leave. I know it’ll take something big--like a scholarship to school. Still, I won’t let heavy stuff from my past stop my future.