Achieving the unthinkable
Highbridge teen tells of journey to higher education
BY JASON COHEN
He was bullied most of his
life, dealt with depression,
anxiety and suicidal thoughts
and his best friend was murdered,
but in the fall, Michael
Jones will be attending college.
The teen will not only be
making the leap to higher education,
but traveling across
the country to Portland State
University to study creative
writing.
Jones, 19, a Highbridge
resident, has come a long way
from when he struggled socially
and emotionally as a
child.
“Leaving the Bronx is defi -
nitely hard and exciting at the
same time,” Jones said. “It’s
not the best place. It’s just not
for everybody. I wanted to get
away as far as possible.”
In fact, at the age of 14, his
best friend Christopher was
gunned down a few blocks
from him.
“I couldn’t sleep that
night,” he recalled.
Jones, who lives in WIN
supportive housing, grew up in
a rough area. He was bullied in
elementary and middle school,
which caused depression, anxiety,
low self esteem and eventually
suicidal thoughts. He
told the Bronx Times he did
not care about school or really
anything at all.
He sought help from teachers
and his principals but they
brushed him off. The only person
who was there for him was
his guidance counselor, who
allowed him to eat lunch in
her offi ce every day.
“She was there for me
throughout my time in middle
school,” Jones recalled.
Things improved in high
school. He left the Bronx and
went to high school in Manhattan
at Jacqueline Kennedy
Onassis High School. After
his sophomore year, Jones
switched to the Institute of
Collaborative Education in
the city, which he fell in love
with.
BRONX ARTS AND SCIENCE
CHARTER SCHOOL
Board Of Trustees Board Meetings
BRONX TIMES R 20 EPORTER, JULY 10-16, 2020 BTR
“That school defi nitely
boosted my perception on the
world,” he explained.
The teachers were nice,
treated him well and it was
like living in a different world.
But what impacted him the
most was when his patents
Johnny and Mozelle sought
out help from a therapist.
Meeting with a mental
health care expert for the past
year or so and taking medication
has made him feel much
better.
“I would defi nitely encourage
people to go therapy,” he
said. “The point of therapy is
to really go there and accept
the fact that life is hard.”
While he doesn’t have the
best relationship with his
mom, he sees how hard she
battles her lung disease and
knows if she can do that, he
can succeed.
His father has taught him
to be independent because as
a young Black man, the world
can often be cruel to him.
“My parents infl uenced me
with their strength and passion,”
Jones said.
When he realized he
wanted to go to college he set
high goals. He applied to and
interviewed with Harvard, Columbia
and Duke. In fact, staff
from WIN helped him buy a
suit, rent a van and came with
him for his interview at Harvard.
While it was upsetting to
not get in, he still envisions
great things for himself on the
west coast. He noted he is a
bit nervous as he did not get a
chance to visit the school due
to COVID-19.
“As an LGBT person of
color, I am motivated by a lot
to pursue my dreams,” Jones
said. “From past experiences,
I have encountered like the
death of my beloved friend, my
mother being diagnosed with
a chronic lung disease, my father
suffering from multiple
heart attacks, and even attempting
to give up on my own
life, all has really benefi ted
me in many ways. Because of
these experiences and their
learning lessons, because of
the people who support me
and believe in me, I continue
to motivate myself to achieve
the unthinkable.”
He was bullied most of his life,
dealt with depression, anxiety
and suicidal thoughts and his best
friend was murdered, but in the
fall, Michael Jones will be attending
college. Courtesy of Michael Jones
Starting August 2020 through June 2021, Bronx Arts And
Science Charter School board of trustees board meetings will
be held at 925 Hutchinson River Parkway, Bronx, NY 10465,
1st floor at the following dates and times:
August 3, 2020, 6:00pm
September 14, 2019, 6:30pm
October 5, 2020, 6:30pm
November 2, 2020, 6:30pm
December 7, 2020, 6:30pm
January 4, 2021, 6:30pm
February 1, 2021, 6:30pm
March 1, 2021, 6:30pm
April 12, 2021, 6:30pm
May 3, 2021, 6:30pm
June 7, 2021, 6:30pm
The interested parties, who want to receive 48-hour notices,
please send your contact information including name and
address to Jennifer Chaveco at 33-00 Broadway, Suite 301,
Fair lawn, NJ 07410. Call: 201-773-9140.