All who wander are not lost: LEAD graduate explores “learn and earn” options for post-secondary success

When Menhu McIntyre first arrived at LEAD Charter School, an initiative of Newark Opportunity Youth Network (NOYN), his slender frame was always covered with his Black Power jacket. He was quiet and still, almost like he was trying to blend into the background. But his trademark hightop fade, which added an extra 4 inches to his already towering stature, could never let him disappear. 

He arrived several grades behind, due to years of instability and unpredictability. As a child, he and his six siblings moved at least once a year - from different cities in Georgia, to North Carolina, Pennsylvania - until at 16, he and his family settled in New Jersey. Despite all this, he graduated LEAD in 2021 with a CompTIA Information Technology Fundamentals Certification and LEAD’s Consciousness Award, an award that honors students who change through this process and share that understanding with others in an effort to uplift themselves, their family and their community.

After graduation, Menhu began his post-secondary pathway at Union County College (UCC) in Cranford, NJ. During his first semester at Union, he was a full-time Business Management major. As a part of UCC’s Educational Opportunity Fund program, he had access to tutors and advisors, as well as a financial aid grant to support him during the semester.

“My first semester, I was just focusing on school full-time,” he said. “I wanted to understand how the business world works because I want to open my own business in the future.”

Then, after living a semester on his own as a full-time student, he was confronted with a sobering reality. One of the conditions of his independent-living community is that he must be working or actively on the job hunt. 

“Right now, if I don’t work and make money, I’m not going to have anywhere to stay, so I have to work. And I noticed when I was at school, most of the people there were living with their parents,” which wasn’t an option for Menhu.

He considered juggling work and school for a while, but he said, “when I’m working and in school, I notice that I don’t take school as seriously. I’m not getting paid with school, so since I’m getting paid to work, I take that more seriously.”

As Menhu dives into the workforce, he, like many young people in Newark, are seeking out such “learn and earn” careers, like trucking, that allow him to sustain himself financially while learning a new trade. The trucking industry remains an in-demand career, due in part to driver shortages that have risen to 80,000 -- and estimated to balloon to 160,000 by 2030. 

Recently, the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) announced a plan to pay high school students in Newark enrolled in a teacher training academy $1,200 per semester to help them avoid having to take after-school jobs that could force them to drop out of the program. Many students have to take after-school jobs to help support their families and cannot spare the 120 hours per semester required by the program on top of their normal schooling.

“Like Menhu, many of the young people we serve are balancing multiple priorities, including a desire for educational and career advancement with the need to provide for themselves and their families,” said Robert Clark, CEO of NOYN. “This is why in the YouthBuild model, our students are provided with stipends while they work towards their high school diploma and an industry recognized credential. With the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic continuing to reshape the labor market, employers are increasingly incorporating these ‘learn and earn’ principles into their career pathways.”

For Menhu, trucking is an appealing career because of the company sponsorship opportunity, speedy certifications process, the solitude on the road and the financial growth potential he hopes to experience. Unfortunately, at 19 years old, most of these training programs are looking for applicants who are 21 and older, he said. So while he waits for his 21st birthday, he plans to work and save his money until he’s old enough to pursue trucking full-time.

“I really want to try trucking. It’s just something I really want to do. I didn’t really get that feeling with anything else. I find it cool. You get to travel to different states and I did a lot of that as a kid,” he said.

Though it feels far away, Menhu is optimistic about the future. “When I start working, I plan on saving up my money and getting my own truck. And once you get your own truck, it’s all on you. You basically have to take care of everything. And I like that.”

Today, Menhu’s top priority is simple: “I’ve got to make money,” he said. But, he’s got a plan for the future. And luckily, time is on his side. “I’m still young, so I can always go back to school.”

Success isn’t always a linear track, so for Menhu, that means he’s open to going wherever the road takes him.