Amir Scales, Class of 2023

Amir Scales (Class of 2023) came to YouthBuild Philly in search of a fresh start. As a teen, Amir had been incarcerated and upon release was a bit uncertain about his path as a young adult. Navigating the new responsibilities of adulthood and the realities faced by someone with previous justice system involvement – and untapped potential – Amir was introduced to YouthBuild Philly by his brother Wayne, who learned about the program and encouraged Amir to explore this new opportunity.

Amir wasn’t fully sure what to expect as he stepped into YouthBuild, remembering feeling nervous at the time. Growing up, Amir’s self image had been built by the world around him, which told him that he was a “bad kid.” Thinking about his upbringing, he recalls “when you tell someone they’re bad, that’s what they start to believe – and then they started calling me worse things than that so I kinda leaned into it like ‘yeah, I guess I’m bad.’” The environment of love and support at YB aided him in seeing the full potential in himself.

Starting off the school year quite shy and to himself, Amir was determined to shed the “bad kid” label he’d been tagged with. He had an epiphany during Mental Toughness when he clicked with a classmate who told him “if you’re already here, then do the most.” This message empowered him to step further out of his comfort zone and step up as a leader. Once he let his guard down, Amir began to take full advantage of all that YouthBuild had to offer. He began to express himself more creatively by doing things like writing poems and earned the title of project manager for the GreenBuild vocational track. Through these experiences, he began to build the necessary skills and strengths to prepare him for his future goal of working in carpentry. Amir also built new habits and new relationships, surrounding himself with peers and mentors who would help him grow into the young man he knew he could be.

Amir’s time as project manager for GreenBuild opened many new doors for him such as being involved in fundraisers, tours, and the interview process for the contractors of YouthBuild Philly’s new building. These connections helped introduce him to the Samuel Staten Sr. Pre-apprenticeship Program, and he became YouthBuild’s first graduate to enter a trades union immediately upon graduation. After a few rotations and a few months into his program, Amir saw an opportunity he knew he couldn’t let pass him by: the team working on YouthBuild Philly’s new school building at 2309 N. Broad was looking for carpenters. He put in a few calls, showed up for networking and interviews, and within a few months, Amir was on site helping to prepare the school for its grand opening in the 2024-2025 school year. After putting in the physical work on the building, he even had a speaking role just before Mayor Cherelle Parker at the unveiling ceremony. At that event, he spoke confidently and proudly about his journey and realizing his potential thanks to the opportunities and connections he made at YouthBuild.

Amir’s pathway reinforced to him the importance of YouthBuild’s core values – he sums this up as “if you have respect for yourself and those around you, and you persevere even when times are hard, you can’t help but be excellent.” Having earned his diploma, a place in the union, and a legacy at YouthBuild, Amir looks forward to his next and most important responsibility yet: being the #1 Dad for his baby boy due this coming February. When asked how he’d empower current and future YouthBuild students to continue pushing forward, he encourages them to shine bright to illuminate the beauty in the journey ahead. “Don’t dim your own light… if you had to dim your light then you probably shouldn’t be in that room.”