shaquille joseph '17 Recruiting Profile

    Around the age of sixteen, my dad and I were forced to move around a lot to look for a new house. With him working at a job that barely paid the house bills, I had to get a job so I can help him out. Since I’m a three sport athlete, it makes it hard for me to balance school, sports, and work. My dad sometimes goes out with his friends for a week or more, so as a result I’m home alone sometimes. I had to leave my childhood behind and do the things that he is supposed to do for me by myself.

I had to find a way to provide for myself and also help my dad with the house. So I excel at my work, play three sports, and also go to school. Even though this might be one of the hardest times of my life, it is also a time that helps me realize that I can get through anything that gets in my path. It helps me because anytime I run into any challenge, either in the classroom, on the football field, on the courts, on the track or in the real world, I think of my dad and me and how we were struggling and want a better future for the both of us. When I think of these things, it helps me fight through anything. For example, I remember I had an English essay to do but I had football practice right after school and had to be at work at 6:00. So in order for me to do the essay I started it in school and anytime I had any free time, like at lunch, I would do as much as I could before the bell. After school and before practice I would do the same thing.

When I got my job in the summer after my junior year, I ended up working at a restaurant called Daddy Jones. I sometime worked seven hours or more and sometimes I did a double, and which means that worked the whole day, so about thirteen hours. At school I’m a student in the Center for Technical Education (CTE) and I’m in the metal fabrication program .I am one of the top students in the shop. Over the summer my metal fab teacher called me and asked if I wanted a job one of the shops. Even though I already had a job, I accepted his offer. One time I had a track meet on Saturday and the day before I had to work both jobs. I had to just do what I had to do and work at both jobs and went to the track meet the next day I still managed to earn first place in two of my events. With two jobs and football, I had to say bye to a lot of things and do what I had to do.

With these things going on in my life I learned that life isn’t always what you expected of it there always going to be hard time and you just have to overcome them and keep pushing. When life throws thing at you, you must fight back and not all the time you’re going to have someone there to protect you from life so always be ready for what’s to come