Shamir Judge and Chubba Bullock didn’t spend as much time on the basketball courts this summer.

Instead, these 17-year-olds used their hands to gain different skills.

“I learned how to make a resume, I learned how to tie a tie,” said Judge. “We had a mock interview.”

“In an interview, what to ask, what not to ask,” said Bullock. “The managing the money part, that’s a big problem I have.”

The Syracuse teenagers, along with about 80 others, received training in workforce development, financial literacy and mental health to cope with trauma during a four week program at the Boys and Girls Clubs of Syracuse.

They also volunteered.

“Knowing some of the neighborhoods we live in and some of the barriers our kids face, the first step out of poverty for some is simply knowing your skill and how to utilize that to create your own path,” said Jeff Eysaman, the Boys and Girls Clubs of Syracuse executive director.

In 2018, Syracuse had the eighteenth worst poverty rate among cities in the United States. Males 18 to 24-years-old represented the largest male group in poverty, according to CNY Vitals.

“If you stay in Syracuse and don’t have a job, you’re dead or in jail,” said Judge. “I don’t want to be one of those kids that don’t get out of town. I want to do something with my life.”

“[I] definitely want to be successful,” said Bullock. “People that don’t want nothing, people before them didn’t want it neither. I think it falls down.”

Another lesson learned: hard work and perseverance pays off and will lead them toward a future that’s greater than their past. And in this case, a $650 check.  

“On day one, a lot of them didn’t quite have their life together which most teens don’t,” said Eysaman. “They had some ideas of how they wanted to spend the money. Towards the end, to hear that some were saving, some wanted to help mom, and some were really motivated to pursue different career paths. For us, that's the best-case scenario."

Judge hopes to be a sports commentator while Bullock wants to play basketball, but, they’ll always shoot for success.