Once going nowhere, John McNeil has arrived

(Artists for Humanity)

This essay was printed in the December issue of Teens in Print, a quarterly publication written and photographed by Boston public school students under the guidance of WriteBoston and The Boston Globe Foundation.

Allow me to introduce myself. I am John McNeil, a 17-year-old from Dorchester. When I was in eighth grade, my mom and I didn't get along. I didn't care about her opinion. I didn't get the chance to explain my wrongdoing, so I never gave her the chance to discipline me. Frustrated, my mother often kicked me out of the house. All I heard from adults in my life was that I was going nowhere and I wasn't worth their time. Eventually I believed them.

For my freshman year, my parents sent me to Trinity Catholic High School in Newton. They hoped it would shape me into a good student, and for the first few months it worked. Soon, my destructive ways returned. I argued with teachers and stole from classmates. I was kicked out of school by March for behavior issues.

I then attended Excel High School in South Boston, which was full of negative and troubled students. I played football and was named the second-best player in Boston. However, I soon fell into a group of rebellious team members and found trouble again. I knew my behavior was wrong, but I didn't know how to change.

As I grew, my Uncle Marc told me to stay out of Wainwright Park. I didn't listen. During spring of sophomore year, I joined the local gang, also called Wainwright Park. I spent hours on the streets doing things like robbing people and stashing people's drugs. I knew this wasn't my style, but it seemed like those boys understood me more than my own family. I became a disgrace to my family and true friends. I was turning my life into the perfect bad example.

On May 26, 2006, while I was at Wainwright Park, my uncle was shot to death outside his home. I should have been with him instead of where he did not want me to be. After his death, I left Wainwright and never returned. I attended summer school, but I just played around and told jokes. In September, I discovered I couldn't play football because I had not passed my classes. My lack of effort cost me the only positive thing I had going.

One day I saw a flier that said I could stay out of trouble, better my community, and save lives by working at Teen Empowerment, a nonprofit organization. I learned a lot from Teen Empowerment and began to perform at shows, rapping and acting. As people came to notice my talent, I was inspired to start making CDs and to mix tapes.

In November 2006, I lost three people I loved to violence: my friends Calvin and Hakeem, and my aunt. Then, on May 22, my good friend Terra was brutally killed. It was a tragic time, but I refused to fall back into my old ways. Instead, I decided to carry on Terra's name. I started a record label and production company, Terra Era Productions, and a clothing line named Terra Era clothing.

I have learned: Life is a game you must play, but you can't let it play you. You can't let anyone tell you you can't do something because when you do, you have been defeated. I am no longer a failure. I am successful. Allow me to reintroduce myself. My name is John McNeil. I am a writer, CEO, songwriter, recording artist, actor, speaker, advocate, and a professional young man.

John McNeil is a former student at Excel High School in Boston. He is now a Metco student at Randolph High School.