Julian Forbes '19 Recruiting Profile

During the Summer of 2016, I experienced an event that changed me as a person.  I was fortunate enough to participate in a youth development program in Harlem. For the most part, the commute from Brooklyn to Harlem went without a hitch, but one day that changed. I got off of the train as I had done for the past few weeks and I felt someone touch my shoulder. I turned slowly and saw a kid my age. He asked me if I had change for one hundred dollars and when I told him no, he pulled out a knife and demanded that I gave him my wallet. I was numb and did not know what to do. It felt as though time had stopped and we were the only two people around. Then he yelled a second time and I snapped out of it. I slowly reached into my pocket to get my wallet. As I was doing this, someone caught my attention and I turned my head. When I turned back, he started to run away. I was simultaneously relieved and confused. When I look back on this experience, I wonder what were the circumstances that lead this kid, who on the outside is just like me, to his decision to commit a crime. What made me different? This experience has made me want to give back so that all kids can have similar opportunities that I was afforded, because opportunity and circumstance have a powerful effect on one’s actions. It has also urged me to take school seriously, put one-hundred percent effort on the field, and persuade others to work just as hard.