5 BRONX WEEKLY July 12, 2020 www.BXTimes.com
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
‘The Unthinkable’
Teen moves on 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.
“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.”
TOP $ PAID
FOR JUDAICA
COLLECTIBLES
HOUSE
CALLS
SAME SAME DAY
DAY
SERVICE
SERVICE
AVAILABLE
AVAILABLE
HOUSE
CALLS
SERVING BRONX
AND THE ENTIRE
TRI-STATE AREA
ANTIQUES AND ESTATE BUYERS
WE PAY $ CASH $ FOR
ALL GOLD, GOLD & STERLING SILVER
COSTUME JEWELRY, ALL COINS, PAPER
MONEY & STAMP COLLECTIONS
ALL GOLD...BROKEN OR NOT
PRE- 1960 FURNITURE, CLOCKS & WATCHES
(WORKING OR NOT) TIFFANY,
BACCARAT, LALIQUE
The List is Endless
YERS
SEE OUR AD IN THE SUNDAY POST
ASK FOR CHRISTOPHER
www.AntiqueAndEstateBuyers.com
for Antique
Q
ES
MILITARY
Collections Wanted
Swords, Knives,
Helmets, etc.
ANTIQUES AND ESTATE BUYERS
We buy anything old. One piece or house full.
WILL TRAVEL. WE MAKE HOUSE CALLS.
FREE
Estimate
WILL TRAVEL
ENTIRE TRI-STATE
THE LATEST BRONX SPORTS SCORES TOP BRONX NEWS STORIES
YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD - YOUR NEWS®
The Bronx Times On-Line
Your world is 24/7... NOW so are we.
CLASSIFIEDS FOR THE BRONX
www.bxtimes.com
/www.bxtimes.com
/www.BXTimes.com
/www.BXTimes.com
/www.AntiqueAndEstateBuyers.com
/www.BXTimes.com
/www.BXTimes.com
/www.AntiqueAndEstateBuyers.com
/www.bxtimes.com