1. YouthBuild Boston | Transformation; One Home At a Time
YBB Personalities
Naomie Aristilde
21 years old
YBB Pre-apprentice Program
Q: How did you end up at YouthBuild?
I ended up at YouthBuild because I did a similar program which was a yearlong and is called Year Up. I went in IT and I got job placed and graduated and everything, and I told them I really loved IT but what I really wanted to do was construction.
I told them I wanted to do both but I didn’t know how to go about it, so I weighed my options with my advisor and he said “well, YouthBuild has a really good program and we do have students who have left Year Up to do YouthBuild and vice versa. Do you want to give that a try? It’s only 3 months, and that might be perfect for you.” And I was very excited. I gave it a try and signed up.
YouthBuild Boston | Transformation; One Home At a Time

2. Naomie Aristilde YBB Personalities
I took a little break while transitioning and I ended up working in IT at Harvard. I told them I was leaving to go to YouthBuild, but they offered me to work at night so I can do both.
Q: So you’ve always wanted to do construction. Where does that come from?
It comes from my dad. He is a do it yourself person who thinks: why hire someone when you can just do it? He used to draw houses, he was an artist. He used to draw our dream house but then we never got that house because things were kind of rough, so I figured you know what, let me do it. I’m really a hands on person, I like doing things with my hands. I like building things, fixing things.
Q: So this is your first experience ever with construction.
Yes. I had no prior knowledge and I was sweating when I first started. I was like, I don’t think I can do this. Initially you have the first 3 weeks of just classes, and I went to the woodshop and it was hard, I was struggling. I thought about quitting and that’s when the instructor told me I
would get better, and that the longer I kept practicing the more I would gain muscle memory. And he was right, it got easier. I came close to giving up but I pushed through.
Waking up early was always my downfall so I was always late, and the instructors told me that if I was late it was over. If I was here at 7:01, I would go right home. The expectations are very high and they really hold you accountable, and that’s what I really appreciate because when I mess up I don’t want anyone to let it slide. I really like how tough they were on me.
Q: So would you say you grew a lot from just that expectation?
Yes. I’m learning something new every single day and I really like that. It’s not like you are doing the same thing over and over again.
Q: What would you say is the most exciting thing you’ve learned from this project (556 Park Street) so far?
The most exciting part would be when we got to frame a wall and put a roof on. When I came in the program the house was already here, and I wanted to learn from ground up. I really didn’t know how the house was put together, I couldn’t understand how it stayed up, how the foundation works. So getting to do that wall gave the opportunity for me to talk to the instructors about those steps. I thought it was all one big piece and it was not. That was the best part.
“A lot of people have told me I’m a little too ambitious, and that it is going to be hard. But my ultimate goal is to own my own business.”

3. Naomie Aristilde YBB Personalities
Q: You are one of the few girls on the program. Would you say any of it goes different for you? What is your experience like?
It was really different because when I started there was only one other girl. It was a change because coming straight out of high school you are used to half and half: girls and boys. When I did Year Up it was also half and half. And when I got here it was predominantly boys.
It was a struggle, because I came here with no experience, so then I had to catch up because they already knew what they were doing and they were strong and fast. I wasn’t strong, or fast, and I didn’t know what I was doing, so I had to step up my game to at least keep up with them. But I got it! I got the hang of it now! So being with another girl was nice because we were both on the same boat, and we worked together as partners, helping each other progress and move on.
Q: If you could give an advice to a girl who is thinking about joining the program, what would it be?
My advice would be to stick with it. Of course it will be hard at first because the field that we are in is mostly boys. But keep up, practice more, always try to improve yourself. If you feel like you have something down, move on to the next thing and try to perfect that too.
“It’s messed up if you build a perfectly nice home and it’s only for rich folks. People tell me I can’t do it, but I know I will find a way.”
Q: What is your goal for the future? Let’s go big!
A lot of people have told me I’m a little too ambitious, and that it is going to be hard. But my ultimate goal is to own my own business. I want to own my own construction company, and a non-profit that helps minorities, people like me find money, support, and education somehow, even if they can’t afford it.
I want to somehow help them find a way to where they need to go. And of course a construction company because I want to build my own house! And my mom’s house! And affordable housing for communities, so I can give back to my community.
The house that I live in isn’t horrible, but it could have been built differently and way better. In certain neighborhoods they really slack on the quality of houses because there is no money and it’s low income. But I want to change that, I feel like that is not right, it should be different. Also gentrification is not good. I want it to be quality affordable housing that the rent does not change. Equal balance.
“My friends call me immature and ask me when I am going to get serious, but I tell them “I am serious. During the week, Monday through Friday, at my work. This is the time to enjoy it while you have it.”

4. Naomie Aristilde YBB Personalities
It’s messed up if you build a perfectly nice home and it’s only for rich folks. People tell me I can’t do it, but I know I will find a way. That is why I really like YouthBuild. When I heard the idea, the concept of how things are done here, I knew I was definitely in. When I got here they said “You’ve got to be serious about it, are you serious about it?” And my first week I really wasn’t. I wanted to miss out on the first week to go travelling, and they said no. The teachers try to work with you and help you out.
Q: What do you like to do in your spare time?
In my spare time I’m a goof. I like hanging out with friends, and try new things I have never done before. Rock climbing, laser tagging. On the weekend my friends call me immature and ask me when I am going to get serious, but I tell them “I am serious. During the week, Monday through Friday, at my work. This is the time to enjoy it while you have it.” My childhood was horrible. I couldn’t really be a kid. I had to really work hard and go to school.
Q: Are you studying at Harvard?
Right now I am working there, but I am going to study there later on down the road. I don’t want to put too much on my plate and lose focus of what I really want to do, so I want to accomplish things in sessions. I’m a media technician at Harvard, so I can take classes at discounted rates. I want to do that, but I want to pace myself too.
I want to go to school for business so I can form my business, and I also want to study Architecture. It all intertwines, and people tell me I’m doing too much. But it’s going to happen. And I’m going to be the first person to do it too. The start is the hard part, but from there it is smooth. You are gonna be jeally when I do it.