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At an earlier point in Brian Hughes’ life, it might have been difficult to predict his current success. As a middle school student living in Bellevue Washington’s Hidden Village public housing project and moving between abusive, alcoholic homes, he had a reputation for trouble making. On one occasion, he drove a teacher to tears sitting on the hood of her car, laughing and harassing her as she tried to leave. He refused to move.
Today, Brian won’t stop moving. He laughs easily, warmly encourages the children he’s teaching and openly shares stories about his future goals. Not only is he a successful college student with aspirations to teach high school science and math, he also runs his own technology consulting business while holding a full time job managing the Bellevue Boys and Girls Club. While many forces have influenced Brian’s path, technology access and training at Boys and Girls Clubs have played a pivotal role.
From Bellevue to Chicago and back again
Born in Chicago but raised in Bellevue with his mother and stepfather, Brian hardly knew his biological father. As turmoil at his Hidden Village home increased due to the alcoholism and abuse of his stepfather, he got into trouble. He had earned a bad reputation among staff members at the newly formed Hidden Village Boys and Girls Club—a partnership between the Bellevue Boys and Girls Clubs and the King County Housing Authority. “I was kicked out of the club a lot. For lots of reasons. I was kind of out of control,” Brian recalls. “We would climb up on the roof and drop stink bombs into the vents.” Eventually the situation at home and in the housing project grew intolerable and Brian moved to Illinois to live with his father.
The grass was not greener in Evanston, Illinois however. The alcoholism and abuse were worse. He endured violent binges at the hands of his father. I still have the pellet in me today.” It was more than a twelve year old should bear. After several months Brian hopped on a Greyhound Bus and headed west on I-90 for Washington.
The return was slightly bittersweet for Brian: he was not looking forward to his Hidden Village home life and he was going to miss his new school. “The school in Chicago was really amazing. There were so many things to learn and there were teachers that helped me follow whatever interested me.” His appreciation for education and mentors foreshadowed the path his life would follow.
Safety, learning, and mentors in the Hidden Village Boys & Girls Club
Returning to Bellevue was not easy and once again, violence followed. He was trapped between the trials at home with his stepfather and the challenges of re-entering the Hidden Village adolescent pecking order. As a middle-school student, he now felt “too old to hang out with the younger kids” but not quite old enough to mesh with the teens. On two occasions he was the victim of other teens that “used to be my friends” who kicked him into submission. “They took turns kicking me. I was balled up on t