Cordell Shelby, a King College Prep graduate and Chicago Builds participant, turns his hands-on skills and South Side upbringing into a career with the city’s General Laborer Trainee Program (Photo Provided).
Cordell Shelby builds things.
He and his mother—an experienced plumber with the City of Chicago Water Department—have built barbecue grills, Hibachi setups, and even a motorcycle from the box—wrench in hand and purpose in the other.
The recent King College Prep graduate is set to create his own future, having earned a spot in the highly competitive General Laborer Trainee Program with the Chicago Department of Streets and Sanitation. It’s a meaningful first step for Shelby, a Chicago Public Schools success story whose academy journey is marked by resilience, mentorship and a love for using his hands.
“My mentors,” he said when asked what motivated him to apply for the city’s labor training program.
A South Side Upbringing and Pandemic-Era Challenges
Shelby grew up in the Lake Park neighborhood, near Kenwood Academy and King College Prep. His path to King wasn’t linear. He started at Hyde Park Academy High School after a rough eighth-grade year marked by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“It was a big change,” Shelby recalled. “Not going to school, seeing my classmates, not having that school fulfillment,” he said.
His mother kept working through the pandemic—her plumbing work deemed essential. Shelby had to figure things out and stay on task while virtual learning.
But after that, he was able to transfer to King. And once he got there, he knew what he wanted to do.
The Spark: Chicago Builds and Skilled Mentors
Shelby enrolled in Chicago Builds, a pre-apprenticeship program offering practical education in HVAC, welding, carpentry, and electrical trades.
“They help us with communication, building our resume, and being out there — hands-on and in the classwork,” said Shelby.
Two mentors provided him with instruction and structure to help shape his ambitions.
“They helped me every step of the way,” he said, “making sure I’m on track.”
Built Different: A Lifelong Talent for Hands-On Work
Some kids have a talent for a sport. Others have a knack for solving complex math equations that look like another language. For Shelby, it was his hands and a mind that was fascinated with assembling things. He took apart toys and put them back together. He learned how to use tools, turn bolts, and tinker with his mom’s guidance.
“So we’ll unbox stuff, build them and just have fun together,” he said.
And the lessons continue.
“She’s currently teaching me how to fix my car a little bit because I need maintenance a little bit,” he said. “So she’s been helping me with that little stuff like oil changes and window wiper fluid, just little stuff to build my knowledge.”
When he’s not in class, he’s working at a popular chicken franchise, where he says he “built a family.”
“I like being at work, especially the money. So it’s like, it’s a win-win situation,” he said.
A Future in the Trades, Inspired by Family
Now that he has graduated, he is excited to learn even more, this time in the real-world General Laborer program.
“I’m most excited about meeting mentors—people I can look up to, ask questions, gain knowledge,” he said. “I love listening, hearing people’s problems, taking stuff head-on.”
Shelby hopes to follow his mother’s footsteps and become a journeyman for the city, eventually gaining the respect and responsibility that come with learning a skilled trade.
“I really want to take up my mom’s legacy,” he said, “I really look up to her, and I want to gain what she gained.”
“I want people to acknowledge that I work for the city, and I’m a laborer.”
Before he starts his next chapter, Shelby recalled the most valuable lesson he’s learned so far: a trait that will undoubtedly help him in this next phase.
“The biggest lesson for me is to always keep going and just listen. Don’t try to take stuff head-on,” he said, “Listen to what people have to tell you.”
“Once you know how to communicate and you know how to listen, I feel like you’re your best version because you’re teachable and you can learn.”
Tacuma Roeback, Chicago Defender Managing Editor
