About this story

Author: Jenny Cheng

Date: November 2010

People: Justin Williams, Linda Williams

Fun facts: Williams is focused on school. Asked what he'd like to know about Grahamstown, he said: "I would like to learn more about what teachers are like in Grahamstown, if they are funny or serious, and what kind of teachers Grahamstown students like. Do students know the whole class well, or do they just know a few of their classmates?"

Fowler High School senior Justin Williams prepares for school at breakfast-time in his home this past fall. He will be studying engineering in college this coming fall.

Data points: The George Fowler High School 2009 4-year graduation rate was 37%, according to state Education Department statistics. Corcoran: 58%. Henninger: 51%. Nottingham: 54%.

About the South Side: Spirit prevails

The South Side of Syracuse is a community of some 20,000 people looking for a fresh start.

It is high on spirit — but a little low on resources.

If you are not familiar with the South Side, you can look to a major construction project in the 1960s as a start for your primer.

According to a 2003 article in the local newspaper, The Post-Standard, then-Syracuse Mayor William F. Walsh used funds from a federal “urban renewal” program to run the path of Interstate 81 through the city, and also make room for Upstate University Hospital and a brand-new police headquarters.

The developments displaced nearly 1,300 residents from the old 15th Ward, a predominantly African-American community. As a result, the once-vibrant and close-knit community was divided, and separated from the Syracuse University campus.

“It was really frightening to some because they had to pick up and move,” said Mike Atkins, former Common Councilor for the Fourth District. “There was no plan or geographic area that was allocated for people move to.”

According to Atkins, the relocation of 15th Ward residents caused wealthy, largely white families to move out as their new neighbors moved in.

“Back in those days, people just said ‘I don’t want those people moving into my neighborhood,’” Atkins said. “So you can imagine an adult African-American, what they had to go through in trying to negotiate moving into another neighborhood.”

Nearly 50 years later, the South Side is still recovering.

“It created two cities,” said Van Robinson, president of the Syracuse Common Council. “One on the east, which is a continuously building community. And on the West, abandonment, displacement and an economic desert.”

Despite the efforts of many nonprofit organizations, some of the needs of the South Side residents and businesses outnumber the resources available.

“We’ve seen a need. But do we get our fair share of taxpayer dollars? Absolutely not,” said Walt Dixie, director of Time of Jubilee, a nonprofit corporation that builds affordable housing.

Dixie said since the corporation was formed in 1987, Time of Jubilee has helped build more than 90 houses on the South Side. And as the needs of the community have evolved, so have the programs Time of Jubilee and other nonprofit organizations offer.

“What we’re doing is pretty much a Band-Aid approach,” Dixie said. “There’s a lot we need to do.”

In 2005, a study conducted by MetroEdge, a community development company that specializes in urban markets, concluded that the main retail center of the South Side was “desirable for both future retail development and continued investment by current businesses.”

The area, a 1-square-mile section of the South Side called the South Salina Trade Area, is bounded by Adams Street on the north, Brighton Avenue on the south, Midland Avenue on the west and I-81 on the east.

In 2006, the city of Syracuse designed the South East GATEWAY Neighborhood Design Plan — designed to create accessible retail on the South Side.

“It was a model of what the area should be like, and what the South Side can be if we show interest,” Robinson said. But despite the proof of potential in the area, Robinson said developers he has spoken to aren’t following through with the GATEWAY plan.

“That day will come and I think what we have to do is be creative and we can make some good things happen on the South Side and make a person proud to be called a South Sider,” Robinson said.

Fowler student engineers his future

By: Jenny Cheng

Unlike many of his peers, Justin Williams will be graduating from Fowler High School and going to college. The soft-spoken, sturdy 17-year-old hopes to become an environmental engineer, and he has set himself apart from peers to be where he is today. As of June 2009, Fowler High School’s graduation rate was 33 percent – the lowest in Central New York.

One of Williams’ best classes is math; he is one of the few students to study pre-calculus in senior year. The South Side resident scored 1430 on his SATs, and he aims to get his score up to 1800 on his next try. His first-choice school is SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF) to study environmental engineering. He has also applied to Le Moyne College, SUNY Potsdam and SUNY Plattsburgh. So far, he has been accepted to Potsdam; he hasn’t heard back from ESF. This past summer, Williams took introductory engineering classes for college credit at ESF.

Williams is an active student with a busy schedule. Outside of classes, he is involved with his high school chapter of the National Society of Black Engineers, which gives him the opportunity to participate in national competitions. He also works for the Onondaga Earth Corps, where he has helped with community tree plantings and sustainability workshops for children.

Williams’ grandparents instilled in him traditional values while raising him along with his older brother and younger sister. His grandparents, with their seasoned skills in parenting, raised Justin to be responsible for his family, disciplined in school work and respectful to adults. His grandparents raised him because his mother died of cancer when he was young, and his father has a mental disability and is HIV positive, therefore unable to take on parenting duties. However, Justin always makes time for his father when he comes to visit, no matter how busy he is.

“I want to support [my family] financially,” said Williams. “I just want to make sure that they are comfortable.”

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24 Responses to Fowler student engineers his future

Clintonjysyr2001 says:

March 28, 2011 at 8:01 pm

I’m very proud of you son. Your future’s so bright, you’ve got to wear shades.
- Amir Freed says:
  
  March 5, 2013 at 5:26 pm
  
  Well i just want to say that i am also the student of “fowler high school” i always remember my moment in this school. facebook
J. Kwamboka says:

December 25, 2011 at 7:48 am

wow…am inspired Williams. great things await you
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May 9, 2012 at 2:28 pm

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January 18, 2014 at 5:07 pm

I must say…story of William is very inspiral…thanks for sharing !!!
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November 25, 2014 at 2:13 pm

Great story for other students to follow.
Jarina says:

December 18, 2014 at 4:31 am

After reading above mentioned success and hard working story there can be no shadow of doubt that this boy deserves standing ovations along with heartfelt congratulations. The main thing he always focused is the curiosity and after math of hard work no matter how the process of educational activities like essay writing services could come in front its obvious that Williams has the ability to break the entire barring options in order to get the right way of making himself a perfect person in future. Keeping in mind the entire career progressing thoughts on could draw the conclusion he is in the right path of victory. Too much inspiring and encouraging topics. Thanks for sharing.
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December 25, 2014 at 12:53 pm

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January 23, 2015 at 10:25 am

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April 2, 2015 at 12:52 pm

Not only is this inspiring, it’s a lesson for those willing to learn from this bright mind. Thanks for sharing. Jay@Bournmouth University
1 Year MBA Programs says:

April 7, 2015 at 12:43 pm

Very inspiring story by Justin. Thank you for covering this. I respect people that are really trying to make a difference.
Brooke Sheppard says:

April 16, 2015 at 2:05 pm

This is amazing to hear that he beat the odds and graduated from his high school. He has big dreams and the world will benefit.
JohnnyDepp says:

June 16, 2015 at 5:29 am

Seeding and nourishing an “enterprise awareness” and entrepreneurial mindset is best begun while engineers are students, says this mechanical engineering alumnus. Historically, the classroom-based education of engineers has focused on the science supporting additional hints the profession, while overlooking the value of interdisciplinary studies relating to the business environment into which the engineer..
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February 17, 2016 at 11:53 am

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The World Journalism Project

Department of Newspaper and Online Journalism
The S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications

About this story

South side: Syracuse, NY

About the South Side: Spirit prevails

Fowler student engineers his future

By: Jenny Cheng

24 Responses to Fowler student engineers his future

The World Journalism Project

Department of Newspaper and Online Journalism The S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications

About this story

South side: Syracuse, NY

About the South Side: Spirit prevails

Fowler student engineers his future

By: Jenny Cheng

24 Responses to Fowler student engineers his future

Department of Newspaper and Online Journalism
The S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications