MONROE, N.C. — COVID-19 could lead to record dropout college rates as more and more students fall behind thanks to the challenges of online learning this last year. A Monroe man is trying to make a dent in those numbers – and use his own life story to show kids there are different roads to success.
Jamil Massey recently wrote and published a book aimed at middle and high school students.
Massey is the perfect example of someone who didn’t take the expected path but ended up exactly where he wanted- and needed to be.
"I was born and raised, grew up in good ole Monroe."
Massey is proud of his roots – especially the single mom who raised him.
"She had my brother and me at a very young age, two kids, no husband."
His dad was killed in a car wreck when Jamil was just 9 months old and he says that had a lasting impact.
"I talk about me being misguided, not a bad kid – looking for acceptance in all the wrong places," he told us.
"I end up failing 9th grade, tried to go to college, flunked out twice so I worked at low-paying jobs."
But this isn’t a story about hardship, or about where you come from. Jamil’s story is about hard work, a sometimes windy path, and where it can lead you.
"It's a story of hope and inspiration of what’s possible."
Massey’s book High School No Fool is meant to help kids understand that there are options.
"I don’t think it should be either I go to a 4-year school or what it looks like so I don’t do anything for the next 2 years. Maybe we look at vocational or trade school. Get some form of education, at fraction of a cost, get footing under you, and then if you want to go 4-year you have that down the road.
College was never right for Massey; now a father of three, he started as a janitor at one of the largest life insurance companies in the world and worked his way up – he’s now the facility manager.
"Just keep showing up, stay with it, don’t be afraid to fail, you can do it- if I can do it coming from that background, other people can do the same or more."
You can find Massey’s book on Amazon.