Sedrick was honored in March as one of Job Point’s 2023 Award of Excellence Recipients.
Sedrick says this leg of his journey actually began before he came to Job Point, when he was in 9th grade.
He had been struggling in school and decided to walk away. He didn’t feel like he was getting what he wanted out of school, so he was done with it.
He describes himself back then as a “troubled youth,” full of pride and a sense of invincibility, which eventually led to getting into trouble with the law and landing himself in the Juvenile
Justice Center.
Being there was hard on the young man, but it was a pivotal moment for him. That’s when he first learned about Job Point.
“I didn’t know a thing about the program, but folks said it was a good place, so I decided to check it out,” Sedrick said.
That’s when things seemed like they were starting to turn around for him. Sedrick enrolled in Job Point’s YouthBuild program in 2019 at the age of 17. Over the next few months, he worked diligently on his studies and building his construction skills.
In March 2020, he graduated with his HiSET (High School Equivalency) and his construction certificate. He immediately enrolled in Job Point’s Highway Heavy Construction program to continue his studies.
Sedrick sailed through the self-paced program, confident about his future prospects and when he finished, he quickly found a job in highway construction.
Things were really starting to look up for him. He loved his job and life was good.
Then, Sedrick made a choice to revisit some of his old habits and it cost him dearly. In an instant all of the momentum was gone.
He was back where he started, in trouble at work, suddenly without a job and at one point, with nowhere to go – even storing some of his belongings in his car at Job Point for a short time.
All was not lost, however.
Using the skills that he had acquired and tapping back into the support system he had at Job Point, he was able to pivot into a different career path as he got himself back on his feet.
“I built log cabins for almost two years,” Sedrick said. “Then I found myself back, knocking on the door at Job Point.”
This time, it was 2023 and Sedrick had a vision. He wanted to get his Commercial Driver’s License and leverage that to get back into the highway heavy construction business.
Always a quick learner, Sedrick passed driving tests and earned his CDL in April 2023. He started with Emery Sapp and Sons in May 2023.
“I love my job. Every day is a new learning opportunity,” Sedrick said. “Summers are long and hard, but the work is good.”
As he gets ready to start the spring construction season, he says he is looking forward to getting back out there and learning everything he can in hopes that someday, he’ll be able to
advance in his career as a foreman or superintendant.
With a family of his own to support, Sedrick is eager to earn a living and be a good example for his young son.
“Sedrick first came here when he was only 17,” Travis Kroner, Senior Construction Instructor, said. “It has been a great privilege to watch him grow up into the impressive young man he has become.”
