Kevin
Be sure to visit this site again for updates on Kevin's progress in the Summer Youth Program.
Kevin
Kevin enjoyed his time at Camp Long. He played some football, ate pizza and spent some time in the outdoors, but it wasn't all fun and games. The staff led serious discussions intended to get the teens thinking about certain issues.
"We had a good discussion about the ‘River of Life,' where there are certain defining moments in everyone's life, like graduation, getting a job, getting married, death, those kinds of things. And relationships with others is a big part of the moments in life. Sometimes I have relationship problems with girls, or with my little brothers. We kind of talked about how to deal with those," he says.
Kevin is somewhat sad that the program is ending, but he's looking forward to starting football season at West Seattle High School soon.
Updated 8/28/09
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The teens in the program have markedly different personalities. Some of the teens are very outgoing, with strong voices. Others, like Kevin, are more introverted.
"I generally don't like talking to people that much. I like being quiet. I love being in my room by myself. Sometimes I like to take a walk and think. I do that a lot. This program has helped me learn how to deal with people. I have to get used to working with others, even if I don't like to sometimes."
"I think about life on walks; what's been going on, what I'm gonna be doing, how far I can get, that kind of stuff," he says.
Updated 8/27/09
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A few days ago, Seattle Municipal Court Judge Michael Hurtado spoke to the teens about his career path and the challenges he's faced along the way.
"I really liked hearing him speak. He grew up in a bad neighborhood, just like most of us. (He said that) anything can happen as long as you keep trying and don't give up. Back when he was growing up, it was even harder for him to succeed because there was more discrimination."
Updated 8/26/09
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When Kevin and his T-shirt group, called "Differences," presented this past week, he made sure to dress for the occasion. "This is the first time I've worn a tie. My cousin had to tie it for me because I didn't know how. Wearing it makes me feel more important. Everybody sees me differently. I usually wear baggy clothes," he says.
Now that the T-shirt project has ended, Kevin and the other teens can reflect on the experience. "I'm relieved that the project is over. It's a lot of work. The project was rewarding, but we shouldn't have slacked off. We probably would have won if we worked together well."
"It turned out good," He pauses for a few seconds, searching for words. "But we didn't win. You just have to shrug it off."
Updated 8/24/09
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The teens see their work in the parks as valuable for different reasons. For Kevin, it's also about doing something good for the community. "I live right near Camp Long, where we've done some work, and only a five minute drive from the Duwammish Greenbelt. I'm proud of the work I've done. I'm going to bring my family to show them."
Updated 8/20/09
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Kevin's parents, like Ikram's, are from overseas. His mother is from Vietnam; she came to the United States shortly after the war ended, over 30 years ago. He's curious about his background, even though his mother doesn't talk too much about her homeland.
"I would like to go to Vietnam, just to see where my family came from. My aunt promised when I graduate from high school, she would take me there to see where my family's from," he says. He can't speak Vietnamese too well, but he's able to understand his mother when she speaks the language.
Kevin has two younger brothers at home, and in addition to taking care of them when her mother's out, he's responsible in other ways.
"I was pretty happy when I got my first paycheck. I wanted to hold onto it for a little while, but my mom said, ‘Kevin, let's go cash the paycheck.' I gave my mom $200 because money is a little tight now. I try to help out with the family."
Updated 8/18/09
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Goodwill has adapted its Retail and Customer Service Training Program, offered for adults, for the youth program in order to teach teens like Kevin valuable job skills. Each week, the Instructors schedule time on the sales floor. "I like working at the Goodwill store. I like helping people. Some customers come up and ask, ‘Can you help me find something?' I really like doing that because it's natural for me. I try to stay positive and keep a smile on my face," he says.
Updated 8/13/09
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Kevin is glad he's spending his summer vacation at Goodwill. He readily admits that he used to be somewhat lazy. "This program has helped to get me motivated to do things. Now, I'm always active. I'm not just sitting around. I'm waking up early, going out and helping the community and learning new stuff. Before, I would just sit around the house and do nothing."
One of the goals of the program is to get the teens to think about what they might want to do for a career. At 15, Kevin still has some time to decide, but an event last week opened his eyes to some possibilities. The program staff organized a career panel with employees from Goodwill, including the President and several Vice Presidents.
"They explained a lot of stuff about jobs. It got me interested in careers like IT. I didn't know it was all about working with electronics. It got me interested because I'm really good with installing, downloading and reconfiguring computers," he said.
Updated 8/6/09
