First Adult Job - Youth POV

This is the Hub, the space where I work, learn, and get to be part of my community.

When I first started working at the Black Resiliency Project, I honestly didn’t know exactly what to expect. This is my first “adult” job, and I’m still figuring out what that even means. I’m learning how to be professional, how to communicate with different people, how to show up for my community, and how to believe in myself a little more.

But one thing I didn’t expect was to find a place that felt so safe so quickly.

The Hub has become a safe space for me, but it’s also become a safe space for the community. One of my favorite things is hearing people come through the door and say that they instantly feel welcomed. There’s something really special about that. It’s not just a place where people come to get resources. It feels like a place where people can breathe, talk, connect, and just be themselves.

Working here has made me think a lot about what it means to be a young person in a rural community. Sometimes it can feel like there aren’t a lot of spaces made with us in mind, or like you have to leave your community to find opportunities and people who understand you.

I’m hoping this job teaches me how to be someone who helps change that.

I want to learn how to advocate for young people, how to build real connections in my community, and how to create spaces where people feel heard instead of judged. I also want to learn the things you don’t always learn in a classroom: how to work with people, how to handle hard situations, how to lead, and how to actually make a difference.

I definitely don’t have everything figured out yet. I’m still learning, and honestly, I think that’s okay. I’m learning what kind of adult I want to be and what kind of person I want to show up as for the people around me.

I’m really grateful that my first adult job is somewhere that lets me do that. I get to grow, learn, and be part of something that feels bigger than just a job.

And if you ever walk into the Hub and feel welcomed right away, you’ll understand what I mean!