Young Carpenter from Englewood Leaves His Mark on Obama Presidential Center Gregory Coleman, a former Chicago Housing Authority resident, transformed his life through a trades program and is now a proud contributor to the Obama Presidential Center. His work crafting the museum tower's concrete letters stands as a testament to his hard work and serves as inspiration for future generations. It's one of the hottest tickets in Chicago, and tens of thousands of people have visited the Obama Presidential Center since it opened in Woodlawn in June, but one young man from Englewood has a very personal connection to the landmark. Gregory Coleman's work is permanently displayed on the museum tower. A public housing program helped him make history. On the side of the Obama Presidential Center museum tower features powerful words from our nation's 44th president, created in concrete. Behind those letters is the story of a young man from Englewood.Gregory Coleman's Career Transformation"Knowing that I contributed to something that's going to stand past me 200 years is just something that I really can't explain, and it allows my name to live forever," Coleman said. A former defensive lineman at Leo High School and Benedictine University, the 26-year-old carpenter knows the meaning of hard work. In 2022, while a Chicago Housing Authority resident, he went to the CHA's Trades & Apprenticeships Expo and learned about a career he never imagined.Coleman entered the CHA Trades and Apprenticeships program. Sheena Brewer is the program's specialist and Coleman's mentor. Brewer encouraged Coleman to enter a three-month, paid pre-apprenticeship program. He woke up at 5 a.m. every morning to go to work, always arriving 30 minutes early.Within days of finishing the program, he landed his first construction job, working with others to create the letters adorning the 225-foot-tall museum tower at the Obama Presidential Center.Mentor Reflects on Historic Landmark"When I see the letters, I tear up, all the time," Brewer said. "I was so happy and intrigued that I helped someone find their way, gain a skill set, and now they have a lifelong historic landmark that they can point at and say, 'Hey, I did that! '. " Coleman spent two years working in South Bend, Indiana, helping to construct the enormous concrete letters recreating words from a speech President Obama gave in 2015.The words are from the "You Are America" speech Obama gave commemorating the historic Selma-to-Montgomery voting rights marches - words that also inspire Coleman today. That is included on a wall with the names of each person who built the Obama Presidential Center. Coleman is now in his third year of a five-year apprenticeship to become a journeyman carpenter. He's also pursuing certifications in solar technology, welding, and robotics.Future Aspirations and Legacy"I want to be a role model for people that look like me, and even people that don't look like me," he said. Coleman said there's one more visit to the Obama Presidential Center that he's really looking forward to - bringing his 12-year-old twin sister and brother, Kailyn and Bryson, to the center."It'll make them very proud to know that their brother helped build something, especially for someone so powerful and influential," he said.