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Letter to the editor

The homeless teen from Tampa

By BRADY DENNIS Special to the Times
Published June 10, 2007

The story: Jerrick Blue was 6 months old when social workers placed him in the care of his aunt, Patricia Blue, a nurse who raised him as her own.

When Aunt Pat died suddenly in March 2005, Jerrick found himself alone and virtually homeless at age 17. Worse, he had never learned to read. Jerrick faced a choice: Drop out of school and surrender to the temptations around him, or confront his fears and seek a better life.

Along the way, he found guidance from several folks who refused to let him fall through the cracks - a tireless social worker, a few teachers at Hillsborough High School and the owners of a small private school who offered free tuition and tutoring. And he found a surrogate mother, friend and savior in Arlene Gray, his former middle school teacher, who offered him a room in her home and a chance to start over.

From the story: On nights he didn't work, they shared dinner at the kitchen table and talked about the day. He'd never done that growing up because Aunt Pat had worked nights.

Arlene lectured him about keeping a budget. . . . She made him open a checking account and save $100 from each paycheck. She often stopped him on his way out the door, made him hand over most of the money in his wallet and hid it in her nightstand - he would need it when he moved on his own.

"Ms. Gray, " he'd protest, "I'm brooooke!"

She'd just laugh.

She brought home a video titled Decision-making Skills for Teens. She took him to an optometrist - he was nearsighted - and helped pick out glasses, although he lobbied for more expensive contacts.

"It's not in your budget, " she told him.

"What is in my budget?"

"Not a lot, kid."

The rest of the story: Jerrick Blue, now 19, recently finished his first year at the Interactive Education Academy in Bloomingdale. He made the honor roll. The teen who couldn't read now reads everything in sight, from street signs to cereal boxes. He signed up for summer classes so he can keep working toward his high school diploma. On off days, he works the evening shift at Wal-Mart. He still lives in Arlene's spare bedroom, and they recently adopted a chihuahua named Bubbles, who likes to bark.

Jerrick had promised himself that one day he would erect a grave marker for Aunt Pat. Donations from St. Petersburg Times readers made it possible for him to make good on that promise in April. He invited a handful of supporters to a ceremony in the cemetery off 22nd Avenue in Tampa. He gave a short speech. "My aunt always said it takes a village to raise a child, " he told the small gathering. "Now I understand what she meant."

What happens next: Jerrick increasingly talks about going to college. Maybe HCC, maybe Florida A&M. He also still plans to enter the armed forces. He calls the military a career that people respect, a place he can make a contribution and a chance to escape Tampa and explore the world.

"I'm pretty happy with where I am, " he said. "But there's always room to grow."

"One thin thread, " Oct. 22, 2006 See past coverage at life.tampabay.com

[Last modified June 9, 2007, 18:39:32]