“Really, anything I wanted to learn, I honestly learned it by myself.” When Daquan graduated from high school, college was simply not an option. “When you have to survive, you have to do what you have to do. You don’t think about college, you think about how you are going to eat, where you are going to live, and how you are going to support yourself”. To provide for his family, Daquan worked a series of service jobs in fast food and retail. After some years in the workforce, he completed a medical certificate and became a home health aide.

While he works as a professional caregiver, he continues to build skills and pursue his interests.  He loves tinkering with electronics, and has thought about pursuing a degree in aviation engineering, but the cost is a barrier. Instead, he is working towards an associates degree in liberal studies, aiming to eventually transfer to a four year college.  He is also teaching himself carpentry. “I like building fireplaces and cabinets and stuff like that. I learned it from YouTube.” Daquan is confident these self-taught skills will always be of value. “As long as I have my hands and a trade or skill, no one can take it from me, so I’ll always have work”.