COVID-19 has changed the way teenagers and young adults move forward in life. For Sahjir Bullock, both COVID-19 and gun violence has made their share of effects on his life.
Bullock, 20, was never involved directly with gun violence. Despite what other kids would say, Bullock loved being in school and playing sports with his friends. He credits his support such as his mom and other family as to why he was able to grow up and live a stable childhood.
In Philadelphia, many young lives are shifted due to gun violence. According to the Philadelphia Center of Gun Violence Reporting, 21.5% of shooting victims since 2015 were between the ages of 10-24. Teenagers and young adults had a target on their back.
Despite never being the direct victim of gun violence, it would make its impact on him through his loved ones. At 15, Bullock lost his brother to it.
“That situation right there, that changed me,” Bullock said. “Me and his relationship was so close, that was one of the hardest things.”
Around this same time in Bullock’s life, COVID-19 was beginning to pick up steam. The classroom that he enjoyed being in so much was taken away from him and he was forced to learn through the computer screen. On top of this, he would lose two of his cousins.
Without his cousins and older brother and close to no will to learn, Bullock began to steer away from the course he had laid out for himself. While his brother and cousins were big pieces of his support system, no one knows better than a mother.
Bullock had sat down conversations with his mother and brothers to learn they were going through similar pains as he was. Despite those events, they were able to finish high school. Bullock’s mother was the one who made Bullock motivated and determined for the first time since pre-COVID.
“She like, broke down to me, crying, because she was like, she knows my potential,” Bullock said. “After that conversation, I just came to my head. I’m like ‘I gotta get it done, I gotta get it done’”
Despite these hits, Bullock put his life in his own hands and researched some programs in an effort to get a high school education equivalent. That’s when Bullock stumbled upon YouthBuild Philadelphia Charter School.
YouthBuild is a school for young adults without their diplomas to gain credentials while learning vital job skills using academics and community service. After the Philadelphia dropout rate reach 50% in 1991, Taylor Frome and other representatives come together to bring the YouthBuild model.
The community successfully pursued the funding and support for the idea in 1992. 32 years later, YouthBuild is still holding it down for the misfortunate young adults of the city. Le’Yondo Dunn, CEO of YouthBuild, believes that schools fail young people before young people give up on school entirely.
“Other folks refer to young people as being dropouts,” Dunn said. “We don’t use the word dropout because dropout puts the entire onus on the student, saying young people are pushed out recognizes that systems likely have not served them well.”
When Bullock got to YouthBuild, he realized that he many things to learn. While he was once great in the classroom and still is, YouthBuild goes beyond basic information like a regular high school. YouthBuild looks to build those life and work skills to help ease students into the working world.
One of Bullock’s favorite things about YouthBuild was the community of people. The idea that everyone here has something in common that led them to this school creates chemistry between the students and enables trust in the adults who want to help.
“Some people don’t be having a mind to know that they’re not supposed to do these things and everybody’s not a leader,” Bullock said. “They need these leaders around the right way, so I feel like places like YouthBuild, I would definitely recommend that to anybody. Like, no matter what stage of life you are, like, there’s so much you can do with their school.”
YouthBuild helped Bullock realize that the sky is the limit through the will to learn. By acknowledging there is always something you can learn, it made Bullock realize that an attitude has no place in a world where connections can make or break a career.
While Bullock eyes are on finishes his classes and earning his diploma at YouthBuild, he truly believes the sky is the limit and he wants to gain the most out of his new opportunity.
“I’ll be going back to school. So, I want to be a geologist,” Bullock said. “I want to take my trade that I got from YouthBuild, which is construction, and I want to also get involved in construction, real estate. And I also want to be an entrepreneur and company owner. So, I know I don’t want to do but I just got to get there.”
It goes without saying that a strong support group is needed to get through the things Bullock has went through. Not only his mother and direct family, but he credits many people at YouthBuild for his ability to get back into school and stay focused.
He wanted to give special thanks to the Director of Communications Khalil Bullock and Math Teacher Christina Neilson. Bullock looks to Khalil as a mentor figure while Neilson was his main teacher. Both of these staff members were people who helped ease Bullock into YouthBuild during his rockiest time.
“They really were some of the most appreciative people there. They helped me through it, and they people I appreciate that in my calling,” Bullock said. “For sure, I know if I need them at any time after. I know way after, they still be here, rocking.”
Neilson watched Bullock grow in his year at YouthBuild. She described him as someone who was quiet, but worked as hard as any other student in the class. As time went on, Neilson began to notice Bullock start to break out of his shell and join class discussions more.
“His desire to learn and do well was infectious and really helped his peers to feel confident and comfortable with building their understanding of the material,” Neilson said. “Towards the end of the school year I remember reflecting on his growth and writing on his report card comment, “Sahjir, you stepped up to the challenge and it has been awesome to see…I am so proud of you and am excited to see the many ways that you continue to excel.’”
Bullock’s journey through his fights with losses in the family, struggles with online learning during COVID, and the bounce back to being on his way to a trade diploma and job is one that could inspire one of the many children across Philadelphia who’re following a similar path.
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