From Graduate to Union Roofer

I grew up on the South Side of Chicago, Illinois. I’m the second oldest of four on my mother’s side and the oldest on my father’s side. My upbringing taught me early on about responsibility and resilience. Sports played a big role in shaping who I am — I was a quarterback in high school, traveling from the South Side to the West Side each day to attend Chicago Bulls College Prep. Unfortunately, during my time there, I tore my ACL playing football, which was a tough setback. I later finished my senior year and graduated from Hyde Park Academy in 2015.

After high school, I was proud to be accepted into my first-choice college — Morehouse College. My time at Morehouse was transformative. It empowered me to believe in my dreams and opened my eyes to possibilities I hadn’t imagined before. After two years, I made the difficult decision to leave school temporarily to focus on financial stability. Returning home to Chicago, I focused on building practical skills and developing my character.

During that period, I met someone who would change my life — the person I deeply love and with whom I share a beautiful son, Carter. Becoming a father taught me the importance of discipline and developing better habits. It also motivated me to pursue a path that combined my passions for fixing things, helping people, and creating stability for my family.

I’ve always been drawn to real estate and quickly realized that having hands-on construction experience would be a great foundation for that field. That’s when I discovered Project H.O.O.D. — an organization that was not only serving the community but also offering a Construction Cohort. I applied and joined the program, and it turned out to be a life-changing experience. The cohort expanded my knowledge of construction, strengthened my confidence, and helped me find my purpose.

After completing the program, I was offered an opportunity to become a roofer — a challenge I embraced wholeheartedly. Every project taught me more about hard work, leadership, and perseverance. My ultimate goal is to build my own construction business — one that creates jobs, uplifts others, and gives back to the same community that raised me.