Youth Quote Search

• Aspirations and Goals
• Imagining their future selves

“I say get through high school, then attend college. I’ll, most likely, I was thinking about like going somewhere like within the city. So probably like DePaul because my parents went there also. So, yeah, so go there. As I’m going there, try to take care of my family; help with the things they can’t do, like take my sister to school or like taking care of my grandparents. As I’m at DePaul, trying to play…basketball. And then when I, that summer, like when I get time off, or whenever I get time off like a long period of time, try to get my realtor license within, because you could take like the eight-week crash course or whatever. And then stay in college like probably just until the four years are over with. Then be a realtor with my uncle and stay in Chicago.”

• Aspirations and Goals
• Imagining their future selves

[At 45] “For some time throughout now to 25 I want to be a neurologist, but I also want to help socially like [she] said. I want to be an activist on the side. I don’t know how it is going to work, but if the opportunity ever comes up where I see an activist group [needs] something wherever I am at, I will participate because it really irritates me about the injustice and everything.”

• Attributes and characteristics
• Describing Identity

“Yes. I’m a mix of everything. It’s important because I feel connected to everyone.”

• Impact of peers
• Pathways

“My friends…Before I graduated the process of… selecting the college, which one to go to. I wasn’t sure. I had no information on any of that, so I went to someone that graduated the year before at some of the colleges I was thinking about going to. I talked to them and they helped me.”

• Impact of personal attributes and characteristics
• Pathways

“A positive impact would be the word ‘caring.’ That has a huge impact of being a stay a home mother because I care so much about my children. One word that could have a negative impact would be ‘fun’ because sometimes in a job you can have too much fun and get into trouble.”

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

“Money.”

• Attributes and characteristics
• Describing Identity

“I am laidback because I don’t really care half of the time. I’m like whatever, and I just go with everyone else. I am just going to deal. Whoever wins – I am not going to be in the middle. I am going to lay back and just watch.”

• Challenges and Barriers
• Death, loss and uncertainty

“Bills, tuition, stress, grades, I don’t know.”

• Education
• Perceptions of college and postsecondary

“The education, the career opportunities, the network, personal growth. If you’re really poor like I was, you essentially will get paid to go to school.”

• Aspirations and Goals
• Imagining their future selves

[At 25] “I own my own family bakery, like my own family bakery…with two kids.”