After growing up in poverty and having nine heart attacks, you may expect someone to be a bitter and callous person; that is until you meet Bobo.
James “Bobo” Young, elementary and special education sophomore is, by all accounts, the most kind and encouraging student at IU Southeast.
If you have been on campus for a day, its likely you have seen him buzzing around in his Pronto Sure Step M91 electric chair cheerfully saying hello to everyone he comes across.
Young was raised, with seven siblings, in New Albany’s Parkview projects; his mother was a nurse’s aide and his father a garbage-truck driver.
“We had enough to survive, but there were no luxuries,” Young said.
Despite living in a working-poor family, Young said his parents taught him to believe he could do anything he wanted, and he started doing it at a young age.
At 13 years old, Young began working as a cook at the Silver street Frisch’s, where he worked while attending high school, playing football and managing the girls track team — which he said was his favorite job in high school.
After high school, and a stint as head-cook at the New Albany Country Club, Young attended the Bell and Howe Institute of Technology, but it was short lived.
“It wasn’t for me, so I decided to pursue cooking again,” Young said.
Young had jobs cooking at Tommie’s, Golden Corral, Kelsey’s and finally Caesar’s where he ran legends kitchen for two years.
In that series of jobs, Young had nine heart attacks.
Young’s family has a history of diabetes and severe high blood-pressure, a common risk factor for African American males.
Young said he had trouble finding a job after his ninth heart attack, so he moved to Portland, OR with his sister.
While in Portland, Young said he went through a period of depression.
A drive to the doctor’s office changed his perspective.
“My sister was driving me to my doctor’s appointment in Portland, and im looking out the window and I see bums, drunks and homeless people and it got me thinking,” Young said.
That night, while sitting up in bed looking at the scenic view of Mt. Hood and the Oregonian wilderness, Young said he decided to adapt and overcome.
“I saw a picture-perfect view of the snow tops and the moon, and it cheered me up, so I decided to slow down and try to take life one day at a time,” Young said.
“I began talking to neighbors I never used to say a word to, and I learned that if you slow down and talk to people, you obtain more knowledge,” Young said.
Young spreads his philosophy to younger students and faculty at IU Southeast daily.
“Bobo is one of the most amazing people I’ve met in my life,’” Kim Brown, elementary education sophomore, said, “and the two things I absolutely love about him are he’s very optimistic and is always smiling; he doesn’t sweat the little things in life which he knows im notorious for and always reminds me what is important; he always tells me, ‘don’t rush it, just take your time and you’ll do great.’”
Young has impressed IUS faculty, too.
“Bobo has been nice to have in class, because he quickly breaks the ice with other students and he is usually the first to start a dialogue,” James L. Kaufman, professor of communications studies, said.
Staff considers Young a friend.
“He is the first smile you see in the morning, and just a very nice person,” Cari Edwards, Campus Life administrative assistant, said.
Young has made an impression on countless adults, but his plan for the future is to help children.
Young is pursuing a career in elementary special education.
“Special education kids see my disability, and, like all kids, they open up to me,” Young said.
“All kids need a helping hand, and I am their big helping hand and their protector,” Young said.
Young said he has been blessed with his cooking ability, and he thinks teaching special education children is his way to give back to his community.
“I want to let kids know that nothing is unreachable,” Young said.
Young encouraged all students to be more social and reach out to people.
“No matter what happens be positive; we can’t solve each other’s problems, but we can be kinder,” Young said.
By MICHAEL MARCELL
Staff Writer
mdmarcell@ius.edu