From self-doubt to apprentice carpenter: Meya’s story
Meya once believed she wasn’t enough. Too young. Too poor. Too inexperienced.
Then she found Lake Street Works. What started as “at least there’s food and a paycheck” turned into a turning point for her future.
Watch Meya share her story (or read it below). This is the work you make possible.
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Transcript:
I often felt like I wasn’t doing anything meaningful with my life. Even as a little kid, I remember this sense of emptiness inside me, like I was sitting in the middle of a large, dark room where the shadows kept growing and any light I had felt smaller and smaller.
My parents did their best to take care of me and my six siblings, but we never had much. I’d do little things like eat less so my brother and sisters could have more. I wanted to help but I didn’t know how. I started believing I was too young, too poor, and too inexperienced to make a difference. A voice in my head kept telling me, “You are not enough, so why bother doing anything?” On my worst days, that voice felt so loud, it drowned out any hope I had left.
Coach Sam was at my high school and he told me about Lake Street Works, an after-school program run by Urban Ventures that teaches trade skills like carpentry, electrical, plumbing, and HVAC. But, that’s not all they do. We also learned life skills like leadership, integrity, and how to manage money.
Coach Sam told me we’d get paid for our time and we’d get a meal before each class. (Honestly, I was most excited about the food.) It sounded too good to be true, but it was also a way to provide extra income for my family, so I took a chance and signed up.
Joining Lake Street Works changed my life. We worked on real projects, from framing walls to basic electrical tasks. But more importantly, we worked on character. They coached us to become better people, not just better workers.
One of the core values of the program is respect. That included respecting ourselves. This was hard for me. I didn’t know what there was to respect. I didn’t believe I had value.
But my classmates and coaches showed me there is value to everyone, and they highlighted the value they saw in me. That was the stepping stone I needed to start slowly respecting myself, and the doubt was replaced with confidence.
Coach Jess often reminded us, “If you don’t know what to do, just do something.” That one phrase broke a habit I had of avoiding decisions. Before, I was afraid that if I tried anything new, I would fail and disappoint myself or, even worse, disappoint others. But the most important thing they taught us was to push beyond our comfort zones. I felt encouraged to push through that fear and just try. Even if I messed up, I could learn and move forward.
Near the end of my time at Lake Street Works, we were building benches to be installed around the Urban Ventures’ community. At one point, my classmates were waiting for instructions, so I started pairing them up and telling them which steps to do next. It felt strange because I had always been the kind of person who stayed in the background, too worried about speaking up. Now, I was guiding others and feeling good about it.
During this project, Coach Jess brought some important people through for a tour. Without any warning he said, “Meya, tell us what you’re doing here.” I was scared! I had spent most of my life avoiding situations like this. So I was surprised when I started explaining our project with confidence and sharing the details. It was like a new version of me was taking over. It felt more like the real me.
The biggest surprise came when several companies showed interest in hiring me. It turned out that one of them, Gardner Builders, wanted to offer me a full-time apprenticeship in carpentry. I was stunned. I was bracing myself for bad news, and instead I was being told I had a real job offer. It felt like someone finally shined a bright light in that dark room of my childhood.
Now, I am an apprentice carpenter. My mornings often start early and I come home tired and sore, but it’s a rewarding kind of tired. The best part is that I can help my parents and siblings by contributing financially, which gives me a sense of purpose. I also have money left over to do small fun things for myself and my family. My younger siblings sometimes tell me to stop buying them treats, but I remind them how much it means to me that I finally can.
There are still days when I struggle with old doubts, but now I have practical skills, a steady paycheck, and a strong sense of hope. I see myself as someone who can move forward instead of staying stuck. Urban Ventures taught me that every challenge can become a chance to grow.
Coach Sam, Coach Jess, and everyone else at Urban Ventures made me realize that “not enough” is just a feeling, not a fact. My story proves it is possible to break out of a cycle of self-doubt.
I want you to know that these programs really matter. They are life-changing for students like me who have gone through poverty. They give us a foundation we can build on and it helps those who don’t know what to do, but they know they want to do something.
Lake Street Works took me from no experience in building, to building a career. I went from feeling I had nothing to offer, to feeling proud every time I step onto a job site.
Your support for Urban Ventures makes a real difference for students like me. Without it, I would likely be earning minimum wage or drifting without a plan. Instead, I am paying bills, spoiling my siblings, and building a better future for myself.
Thank you for seeing my potential before I could see it, and thank you for opening doors that once seemed locked. Your investment changes lives, and I am living proof of that.
