Interview with Jelani Belgrave

Interviewer (I): Hello. We would like to ask a few questions about you. Be as honest as possible. If we go too far with a question just let us know all right?

Jelani (J): Sounds great!

I: So first off tell us about yourself. Anything important we should know about?

J: Well! I’m a 16 year-old Afro-Caribbean. Born and raised in Brooklyn. I live with my mom uh…. I guess I really live at Hotchkiss if you feel what I’m saying ha-ha. I mean that’s me. I’m a pretty simple person; there’s not much to me.

I: Great. If you could choose any quote to describe you, what would it be and why?

J: Jay-Z said, “Successful people have a bigger fear of failure than people who’ve never done anything because if you haven’t been successful, then you don’t know how it feels to lose it all.”

I: Wow! That’s a pretty powerful quote. What makes you have such a strong appreciation for that quote?

J: I guess it all really comes from my life. I was never the richest kid on the block, but anytime I had anything nice I treated it with such a high love as if my life depends on it. You know what I’m saying? I’ve naturally been successful in school and with a lot of the work I put into my extracurricular activities. I mean think about it as being at the top. Do you just stop?

I: Well yea-

J: Wrong answer. You’re a part of the group of people that I pray for in life. When you make it to the top you don’t stop you have to keep grinding. You don’t set one standard and move on. You should, as a matter of a fact, you must keep breaking and setting the standards wherever you are.

I: Seems like your life depends so much on success. What’s the cause of that?

J: To be honest, my family depends on me. It’s kind of hard … give me a second… Sorry about that it’s just my family needs me. It pains me to see how much my family struggles financially. It pains me to see my father come home limping from being tired and working later hours at work. It pains me to hear from each of my family members that Jelani you are the future of the family because my family members never had the chance. While I won’t be the first in my family to go to college, I’ll definitely be the first to go to a top school in the nation. I’ll definitely be the one to save my family from its crisis. Do you know how hard it is to… to look your little brother in the eyes and tell him he can’t have that? Do you know how hard it is to look your brother in the eyes and explain to him that some cruel disease is about to take his mother’s life? I think that’s why I’m so bent on working so hard.

I: I’m so sorry.

J: Ha-ha don’t worry just know that when I say I will put my family on top I mean it. I really will bring greatness to this world. JHB Technologies engineering a better future for all people.

I: Thank you for your time. Any last words?

J: This one goes out to the rest of the people in the world. Appreciate the small things for real because some of us aren’t as fortunate and would kill to be as well off as you. Now I’m not saying you should be sorry for us but you should recognize shit I’m well off right now so I will take advantage of that opportunity. Anyways God bless and hope you keep grinding.