Welcome to the Striving to Thriving Youth Quote Library. Here you’ll find a curated collection of more than 5,700 quotes from young people ages 15-22 living in communities across the United States. In the library you can see how young people describe their multifaceted identities, how they understand and apply meaning to language around job, work and career, how they think about and assign value to relationships, networking and connections, and their future goals and the education and career choices they believe will lead them there. You can also view additional notes on curation, categories and filters.
“I put furthering my photography, going to college for business and photography, living with my mom and building our businesses. For 45 I put done with college, having an official business and traveling with my mom. For 70 I put possibly retired, traveling the world and becoming a woman photographer. Yeah, I think if I take care of my body I will be able to do it. You only live once.”
“Determined.”
“I was on the field, and my coach was like screaming and yelling at the defensive line because they kept on running the same run play on us…And like kept on tossing the ball to the halfback, and they was just running. And they were out on five-wide set besides the single back, five-wide. And so every time it was just to the halfback. And I had to stay and cover it just in case he threw the ball. And so I skipped out the game plan. I called no hurry-up, and I told them I was like, I’m going to blitz. Everybody else stays and covers. And so I went and blitzed and caught him on that one play. And I made a fumble, but they recovered it…Yeah, coach pulled me to the sideline. He goes like nice play, like because they wasn’t expecting me to come out of coverage on a five-wide set…”
“Happiness.”
“My mom doesn’t really have a good job, I guess, because she would always tell me you don’t want a job that you wake up and you say oh I don’t want to go to work today. You want one that you are excited to go the next day.”
“Required.”
“I mean I know my auntie regret it but she’s taking online courses for college now, so now she taking college courses. So I figured she regretted it.”
“Hispanic and strong…Hispanic and Mexican I feel is the same…I feel we are really strong people. I am very aggressive.”
“I was once offered a position while working at a pharmacy in CT to become a Pharmacist Tech. The people I worked with, which was a pharmacist and pharmacist tech, saw I had potential and that I learned quickly. They taught me all I know in being a pharmacist tech and even tested me on things with grades. The owner wanted to sign over a certificate if I completed all test and knowledge background. You know the ropes to how to be punctual at your job. It was one of the best offers I had gotten. Unfortunately I had to relocate, leaving me with only the experience, but I wouldn’t change it for the world. I loved working in that pharmacy and helping others. Today I don’t choose to go that route especially in the heart of NY City because pharmacist techs don’t make much, and I make more than they can make at the moment. To lower my standards with money over what I love is something definitely to think about because there’s many things I love doing, but do they pay right is the real question and is that money manageable?”
“I face a lot challenges in school when girls try to hate on me, but I keep pushing through it.”