First Person

Kurtis looks ahead to an uncertain junior year.

“The person you hope to be is not always the person you will become.”

Motivated by his love for his family but pulled by his loyalty to the streets, Kurtis battles daily with living two separate lives. Guided by his family’s emphasis on faith, service, and personal responsibility, he dreams of becoming an entrepreneur and changing the conditions in his North Philadelphia community. While pursuing the life his loved ones want for him, however, Kurtis finds himself becoming more deeply entwined in the streets’ violent struggle for honor and respect. Young and confused, Kurtis faces an increasingly difficult series of decisions, both positive and negative, that he believes are his alone to make–no matter how high the stakes.

Read more at Kurtis’s Blog