Fabian Young                                     

Finding the Confidence to Follow Dreams

"I've always felt like I wasn't good enough or that I was limited in what I could do," reflects Fabian Young. "Being a part of Chicago Scholars reinforced one powerful ideal that I learned prior to entering high school: my only limitation is the belief that there is a limit to my dreams, aspirations, and abilities."

Today, someone looking at Fabian's academic achievements would be surprised to learn how long it took him, by his own estimations, to embrace his potential. "I used to be very disruptive and was frequently suspended from school," he recalls. "Throughout elementary school, I was a really angry child. When I reached third grade, they placed me in special education, stating that I had a ‘behavioral problem.' It wasn't until 8th grade that I decided to take my education seriously."

Looking back, Fabian ascribes some of his anger and restlessness to a family life plagued by separation and complicated custody battles, and growing up without a father present. "Not having my father around has always made me feel that I was missing an important part of my childhood. I will never know what it feels like to go to a football or basketball game with my father," he explains. "I will never know how it feels to have a father guide you with your issues, with your girlfriend, or to give you that ‘talk'."

The turning point in Fabian's trajectory was learning to look outside of his chaotic home life for additional support and stability. "With the support from my family at church and the belief that the staff at school and my parents had in me, I worked extremely hard in 8th grade," he says-a turn around that led to his being valedictorian of his graduating class. Four years later, he received the same honor as he prepared to leave Al Raby High School for the University of Minnesota.

By this time Fabian had become a part of Launch, a one-year Chicago Public Schools pilot program that allowed him to participate in Chicago Scholars workshops, where he found more people to rely on for guidance. "Chicago Scholars gave me the confidence to believe in myself through the entire college process and they gave me all the support that I needed," he says. "I was lucky enough to develop a really great relationship with Will Dix; it wasn't too long before he became my mentor, and he still is. I don't have a problem asking him anything." He also recalls the commitment of other Chicago Scholars staff members: "Stacey and Cathy even came to see me off on prom," he says. "This just demonstrates the depth of the relationships I've developed there."

At the University of Minnesota, Fabian is majoring in Agricultural and Food Business Management, aspiring to start a nationwide food market business to address the problem of food deserts-communities that lack grocery stores, whose residents have to travel a long way for fresh produce. His resolve to follow this path came from an internship with McDonalds, which he found through Chicago Scholars. "When I look at McDonalds, I see a company with many values," he explains. "One such value is giving back to the community; this is the image I want my business to have once established. I don't know where I want it to be, but as long as I'm somewhere making a difference, it doesn't matter."

As inspiration, Fabian points back to the Chicago Scholars motto: Dare to dream. Dare to achieve. "What does it mean to dream?" he says. "Is a dream simply the creation of an idea of who I want to be one day and what I see myself doing in the years to come? Chicago Scholars showed me that a dream is not just a figment of one's imagination: it's the way in which we surpass the limitations we once thought we had. Dreams are why we achieve. This is such an invaluable concept, and this is perhaps how I've benefited the most from Chicago Scholars."