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One Brick At A Time: Salvador’s Story

Seventeen-year-old Salvador Salgado found out very early on that life can become difficult. “There were problems going on,” Salvador said. “I had to raise my sister, and so I dropped out of school for a little bit. “

Salvador Still
Salvador Salgado, Chicago Job Corps Center

He helped his family, and then he said he had a little conversation with himself. “I said I’m going to get myself together,  and I decided to come here.” And here, turned out to be the Paul Simon Chicago Job Corps Center. “I came here, and I found something I liked.”

Step one at Chicago Job Corps Center for Salvador was to get a High Diploma. He did so quickly. “It was a pretty nice experience,” he said. “I finished it in about seven months, I believe.”

Next a trade, right. Maybe bricklaying? “It’s an amazing trade, he said, and I can see myself working in it for a very long time. And it’s something I like doing.”

Salvador is also into fitness. Hoisting a brick or two can’t hurt in that area either. “I mean this is going to keep me fit because it’s like really hard labor. Every day we have to move cinder blocks, and it’s a good workout.”

Salvador’s Job Corps trade instructor, Jackie Townsend, beams with pride. She said, “Salvador at a young age, only being 17 years old, has shown that he has a lot of leadership abilities.  We worked together on nurturing those leadership qualities. He’s a hard worker and he takes a challenge and won’t stop until he completes it. Great student. ”So does Job Corps work! Salvador thinks so.

“I wanted to be successful, and I thought this was the best route. I got a trade; I got a high school diploma and I feel like I’ve bettered myself since I came here.”

Salvador Still
Salvador at Chicago Job Corps Center