“[At GCF] I achieved personal and professional growth most of all.”
Shamon Williams (he/him)
Graduated: 2018, Cohort 14
From: Castle Hill Houses, the Bronx
Current Position: Heating Plant Technician, NYCHA
The New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA), the largest public housing authority in North America, was created in 1935 to provide decent, affordable housing for low- and moderate-income New Yorkers. NYCHA is home to 1 in 17 New Yorkers, providing affordable housing to 528,105 authorized residents through public housing and Permanent Affordability Commitment Together (PACT) programs as well as Section 8 housing. NYCHA has 177,569 apartments in 2,411 buildings across 335 conventional public housing and PACT developments. In addition, NYCHA connects residents to critical programs and services from external and internal partners, with a focus on economic opportunity, youth, seniors, and social services. With a housing stock that spans all five boroughs, NYCHA is a city within a city.
Tell us about your current role and daily responsibilities:
“Heat plant technicians do a little bit of everything including electrical work, plumbing, science, and maintenance. I work with boilers and I’m in classes part-time learning about boilers from the practical side. My typical day consists of learning about boilers, as in their parts and what they’re doing to help the boiler run smoothly and how to know when you need to physically get involved to prevent any unfortunate accidents (boilers can explode).”
Describe your career pathway. How has your GCF experience helped you?
“GCF helped me by nursing my drive to accomplish being able to see long term things to the end. My diploma in electrical engineering [gave me] the knowledge necessary to deal with boilers from the hardware side. [Through GCF I was also connected with] NYCHA’s Clean Energy Academy [where] I learned more about electrical work, brick laying, solar panels, construction, and more. [This] experience was incredibly insightful. I learned how to navigate unpredictable situations, communicate effectively with coworkers to both receive and give information, and work well with individuals of all age groups. I am especially grateful to Mr. Julio, who took the time to teach us various aspects of electrical technology. This training has positioned me for success in my next job, and I appreciate GCF for providing this opportunity.”
What advice do you have for current Corps Members and other Alumni?
“Never give up even when things get rough, you’re closer to the finish line than you think.”
Achievements at GCF:
“I achieved gaining a certain level of mastery of agriculture [and] achieved personal and professional growth most of all.”
What’s your favorite GCF memory?
“I don’t have a favorite memory because I have so many great memories – it’s hard to choose. It could be when I performed my poem at GCF’s Youth Summit, or flipping windrows [for compost] with David and Team Seva or even building the farm at Forest with Team San Kofa. I challenged myself to step out of my comfort zone and give the best performance I could at the Youth Summit; I was scared to be in the spotlight. When it came to flipping windrows I challenged myself to flip each one faster than I did the last and to keep going even when I was winded. I worked hard at Forest too but that one is more about the memories created with my fellow cohort members; I called us C14 because we were explosive.”
GRADUATION TESTIMONY:
“Green City Force has meant life change for me. It has given me the tools to make believing that I can achieve more a reality. I joined because I come from a family that runs a garden, and I wanted to be able to bring some knowledge back home. I learned so much that it’s hard to say what was the best. I’d say it was the experience of a cohort in general. I’d never been a part of such a thing. Even though I’ve been to school, this just didn’t seem the same, but it had similarities. I was challenged to be better, do better, act better, and to think of life in positive ways. I think GCF is a great endeavor for any young adult that wants to get a new outlook on life.”
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