I’ve accomplished a lot, and I’m proud of the man I continue to grow into every day.
It has been a hard journey. Since coming to San Quentin, I’ve taken this time to really take my life seriously. I’ve been away from friends and family since I was 19. I used to think that getting a sentence of 91 years to life was the worst thing that had ever happened to me, but it turned out to be a blessing. It helped me understand that the way I was living wasn’t really living. I had no education, no goals, and I was very immature. Today, even while still inside, I actually have goals. I’ve accomplished a lot, and I’m proud of the man I continue to grow into every day. I earned my GED and am now in college, working toward becoming a social worker or at least a counselor for at-risk youth, to help keep them off the path I was on at their age. I grew up in foster care, so I’m especially passionate about helping kids growing up like I did. I now write about my experiences for a youth group I help lead here at SQ called The Beat Within, a writing workshop. I’m also in the S.Q.U.I.R.E.S. program, where we speak to at-risk youth, college students, and others about prison life, our crimes, and the hope they’ll make better choices than we did. Joining this group changed my life. It helped me step outside my comfort zone and taught me how to hold myself accountable. In January, I gave my first public speech in front of lawmakers, sharing my childhood in hopes of creating new laws to get youth the help they need. I’ve come a long way from that 19-year-old kid. At 33, I still have so much more life to live and grow into. One of my newest projects is working with SQ staff and residents to start a barber program, something I’ve dreamed of for three years. Slowly seeing it come to life is amazing. I truly believe that with hard work and dedication, anything is possible. I’m also an artist. I love to draw pencil portraits of people. I love to cook and can’t wait to take cooking classes when I get out. I love to laugh, always bring humor wherever I go, and most of all I love life. I love to have fun. That’s a little something about me.
