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Building Hope 2026
Building Hope Teacher: Jackie Weber
It’s hard to choose just one reason I love teaching Building Hope, because the experience is layered with moments that stay with me long after the class ends. But if I had to name the part that means the most, it would be watching confidence take root slowly, quietly at first, and then all at once. A student masters one skill, then another, and somewhere along the way there’s that unmistakable “Aha” moment, when everything begins to click. You can see it in their posture, in their voice, in the way they carry themselves.
I can’t say exactly what each student feels, but I’ve seen enough to notice a pattern. Many walk in with hesitation, guarded and unsure. By the time they leave, there’s a shift, more confidence, more optimism, a sense that something is now possible that didn’t feel possible before. This most recent class felt that especially strongly. They were counting down the days to graduation, not just for the milestone, but because every one of them had already been offered full-time work with Calvin Martin and his company, Home Hab Construction. There was pride in that room earned, shared, and impossible to ignore.
Some stories stay with me more vividly than others. Martelis D. is one of them. He came to the program after losing his job because of a misunderstanding. When I told him he’d been accepted, he hugged me right there during the interview. It wasn’t just relief it was gratitude, and maybe a bit of hope returning. In class, he worked hard and became a steady, positive presence, especially for the younger students. After graduating, he found a job with Bell Craft Builders, and even then, he kept thinking of others, putting in a good word for a fellow graduate, Trevon. That’s who he is someone who lifts others as he moves forward.
Then there’s Robert W. He arrived with real construction experience already behind him, but when I asked why he joined, his answer was simple: he wanted to learn finish work and learn how to do it right. That humility stood out. After graduating, he went on to work with Tidy Home Construction, contributing to Revitalize Milwaukee’s critical repair program. Like Martelis, Robert became a leader in the classroom not by trying to stand out, but by helping others as he learned. At times, it felt like he was teaching alongside me. His presence made the whole class stronger.
And then there was Shaheem S. the funniest student I’ve ever taught. After spending ten years in prison, he could have come in hardened or withdrawn. Instead, he brought joy. He was playful, always laughing, always trying to convince me he didn’t know what he was doing just to get a reaction. He teased me like a sibling would. That kind of lightness filled the room, and I still find myself missing his brilliant smile.
Teaching Building Hope has never felt like just a job to me. I’ve always wanted to leave the world a little better than I found it, and when this opportunity came along, I knew it fit. It allows me to make a living while also helping to change lives in real, tangible ways. In a world where there’s so much hardship, being able to create even a small positive shift means everything.
But more than anything, my favorite part is the people. It’s meeting students as strangers and, by the end, calling them friends. Even when I don’t see them again, they don’t really leave. I carry each of them with me, their stories, their growth, their resilience. And in that way, they continue to shape me, just as much as I’ve tried to shape their path forward.
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