“I like football, I used to play soccer, baseball, and basketball. I want to go to Minnesota to see the Vikings play.” – Tyrell
Tyrell’s Home
Tyrell was born on December 28, 1990 in New Jersey. However, soon after his birth he moved to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. It was not until May 2000 that Tyrell and his family moved to Steelton. He lives in Steelton with his mom and his two and a half-year-old brother. His dad does not live with them because he is in prison, but Tyrell said that he is used to it and that it does not bother him. His mom told him that he should be out of prison in about a year. Even though Tyrell’s family moved to Steelton, his grandmother still lives in Harrisburg and he still attends The Wesley Church in Harrisburg.
In Steelton, Tyrell is active on sports teams including football, soccer, baseball, and the Boys’ and Girls’ Club’s basketball team. Tyrell attends The Boys’ and Girls’ Club everyday after school until 4:30 when his mother gets off work from The American Red Cross. He explains that he likes it because “they let me come here so I can play.”
Jennifer
When Tyrell is not in school at The Steelton-Highspire Elementary School or playing sports, he enjoys playing with his friends. Many of them attend The Boys’ and Girls’ Club and others are schoolmates. He also enjoys playing with his thirteen year old friend, Jennifer, even though she “beats up my cousin Brandon and in the winter she always throws snowballs and puts snow in our hats and tells is to put them on, then we go in the house soaked.”
The Convenience Store that closed down
Three of Tyrell’s favorite places to go in Steelton, other than The Boys’ and Girls’ Club, are the convenience store, the stairway located on Locust Street, and the few parks that are in the town. “The store that I go to is right by my house, around the corner from it. I normally go there but a couple of months ago they shut it down.” “I guess they just started running out of business.” “They had stuff like soda, candy, food, milk, lollipops, gum, jawbreakers, juicy fruit, stuff like that.” “So now we just go to Turkey Hill.”
Tyrell’s Picture from the Top of the Staircase on Locust Street
Tyrell said that the stairway located on Locust Street allows him to see “most of the parts about Steelton, like convenience stores, stores where they sell old stuff.” He also likes the stairs because “if the games aren’t open (at The Boys’ and Girls’ Club) I will take my Gameboy and me and my friends will go out there and play until the games open up, then we will come down.” The parks that Tyrell likes to play at are mostly around his home. He likes to “play basketball, football, and tag” there. If he doesn’t play in the parks he likes to play in the alleyways and in the streets.
In the future Tyrell wants to be a computer programmer and create a web page with video games that other kids can play.
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