YBBlog: Alumni Spotlight, Sam Burrell

Sam came to YBB in 2010 as part of what we now call the Building Trades Exploration program. He was a motivated and attentive student, and upon graduation moved to New York City. While Sam worked steadily in construction, it was a difficult time for him; he ended up experiencing homelessness for a few months.

Sam needed a change, and when his grandmother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, he left New York to go to Atlanta to take care of her. While being his grandmother’s full-time caretaker, Sam continued to use the skills he learned at YBB. He worked in computer support for a while, before joining the Bricklayer’s Union.

In 2015, Sam joined the US Air Force, which has taken him all over the world. He spent 2 years in Japan, which he absolutely loved - though he said Japanese is a really hard language to learn! He completed his active duty in September 2019, and is now living in Atlanta. We were so happy to see Sam when he came back for a visit, and we are so proud of all he has overcome and accomplished!