Warriors' partnership with Covenant House gives Jamal a chance to succeed
OAKLAND, Calif. (KTVU) - Jamal Ingram is about to graduate from Laney College in Oakland. But for the 21-year-old the road to success has been hard fought and his struggle very real.
He now lives in Covenant House, a homeless shelter for young people, and says he’s learned some important life lessons along his journey.
"As you can tell, I'm still a little kid," says Jamal as he showed KTVU his room at Covenant House.
Jamal describes himself as a child at heart. But circumstances forced him to grow up quickly in the last few years.
He says Covenant House is his first stable home after his mother lost her job back in his senior year of high school.
"It's been an on and off...moving from place to place," says Jamal.
He says he was moving every few months until he found Covenant House.
Jamal still managed to graduate from San Lorenzo High School and went on to attend college. Then, he found a job working in the parking lot at Oracle Arena in 2014.
He's s now a guest services attendant and recently got a raise.
Jamal says he loves his job. He gets to greet people with his signature bow tie and smile.
"I could have just gave up ...just drop out. But I didn’t choose to. If I start something, I want to finish it. I started school. I want to finish school," says Jamal.
He is set to graduate community college next month. He credits the stability offered by Covenant House and the Warriors' recognition of his hard work for helping him stay focused.
"That ability to succeed is in every kid. But we're all dealt different hands. And somebody like Jamal was not dealt a great hand," says Rick Welts, the president of the Golden State Warriors.
Welts says the team has a partnership with Covenant House that's about helping young people stay on track and giving them opportunities to succeed.
"To have that all in a place where you feel safe and you feel taken care of is life changing for kids who otherwise would be on the streets and never ever realize that potential that's in them," says Welts.
Jamal says being a Warriors fan, this is the perfect job for now as he looks to the future.
He says a positive attitude and a belief that he can accomplish what he sets out to do are key when faced with challenges.
"The Warriors are helping me out and so I'm thankful for everything that happens and try to reach my goal," says Jamal.
He says he just learned this week that he got accepted to San Francisco State. Laney is a two-year-college where he’ll earn his associate’s degree.
He plans to continue at SFSU to major in communications. His goal is to be a broadcast sports analyst someday. He says he hopes his story will encourage others to never give up on their dreams.