When Brandol Peña talks about his career in carpentry, he doesn’t talk about luck. He talks about people. Javon, Roberto, and PK, the Boys & Girls Clubs mentors who saw his potential before he saw it himself. Now a first-year apprentice carpenter, Brandol’s experience illustrates what’s possible when young people have access to dedicated guidance, strategic industry connections, and unwavering support. Here, he shares how his years at the Grousbeck Boys and Girls Club of Charlestown became the foundation for everything that followed.
What brought you to the Grousbeck Boys and Girls Club of Charlestown?
I was 10 years old when I first walked through those doors. Honestly, at that age, I was just looking for a place to hang out after school. But the Club became so much more than that. It became my second home, a place where people actually cared about where I was headed in life.
How did you figure out what you wanted to do after high school?
I didn’t have it all figured out, not even close. I thought maybe a firefighter, maybe a police officer. I was considering a lot of different paths. But then Javon (Teen Director) and Roberto (Teen Career Pathway Program Manager) at the Club started having real conversations with me about my future. Not just “what do you want to be,” but sitting down with me, helping me research different careers, exploring what was actually out there. That’s when I started going to trades events through the Club, and something clicked. I loved the hands-on work, the idea of building something real. I just didn’t know how to get started.
Tell us about YouthBuild Boston. How did that program change things for you?
Javon introduced me to YouthBuild Boston, a pre-apprenticeship program that helps young people get into the Carpenters Union. That introduction changed things for me. I graduated high school in June, and then I went right into YouthBuild. By September, I had completed the program and learned what it really means to be a carpenter. The program guided me to apply to the Carpenter’s Apprentice Program, and I got accepted. But here’s the thing they don’t tell you: you have to find your first job on your own to officially join the program.
That must have been challenging. What did you do?
I went straight back to where I knew I’d get help, the Charlestown Club. Roberto and Javon introduced me to PK, BGCB’s Trades Pathways Director. PK didn’t just give me a few contacts and wish me luck. He stayed with me throughout the whole process until I got a job. It took time and persistence, but someone was with me the whole way.
What did the Club teach you?
The Club taught me how to show up. How to communicate. How to work with people who might be different from you. I learned how to be social in professional settings. I learned reliability. These are the skills that carry with you wherever you go.
What advice would you give to younger Club members who are trying to figure out their path?
Don’t be afraid to try new things. You don’t have to have it all figured out. Expose yourself to as many opportunities as possible before you decide what you want to do. And, when you’re starting out, don’t focus so much on the money. Focus on what skills you’re learning and what experience you are gaining.
Looking back, what does BGCB mean to you?
It’s good to have people in the Club like Roberto, Javon, and PK, who see something in you before you see it in yourself. People who don’t just point you in a direction but walk with you until you get there. And it makes all the difference.
