BLOG POSTS
March 2025: Teddy
During my childhood, and even when I was just a toddler, I was faced with things that even adults didn’t experience. My parents divorced when I was two years old, and my mom got into a relationship with a drug dealer after that. This guy used to beat up all of us: my mom, me, and my sister. She came home late one night, and just because of that, he, his brother, and his father broke my mom’s arms with a baseball bat in front of me and my sister. He wouldn’t even let her go to the hospital. I was only three years old at the time, but I remember it. She eventually was able to escape from him, but my sister and I were left behind, and we were sent off with family. I ended up at different family members’ homes up until I was 12 years old, when I went back to staying with my mom.
Even though I went to 13 different schools by 7th grade because of how much I moved around, I was still getting A’s and B’s and on the honor roll. But my mom was homeless when I went back with her, so I dropped out of school in 7th grade. My mom was sometimes on the run, sometimes in jail, and I fell through the cracks. My mom got me into robbing houses, and that’s what I would do to support myself since it was the only way I knew how. I would end up in the juvenile justice system, but when my mom was murdered in 2001, I went to prison for the first time shortly after that.
I would be in and out of prison, serving 11 terms, for the next 18 years. It got to the point where I couldn’t stay out of prison; it felt inevitable that I would just keep going back. That all changed when I had my son. I knew that I had to change things in my life if I was going to be there for him, so I turned things around to make sure that I would be. He was five weeks old when I got out, and when I first saw him, it was such a good feeling. I didn’t even know how to hold him at first because he was so little. He’s almost two years old now and a little party animal. We always go out on his scooter or little remote-controlled car, and we go to the park all the time. I’m really happy that I’m with my family. From 12 years old, unless I was housed in a state prison, I was living on the streets with no home. Now I live with my girl and our family, and I’m so happy to be with them. This is the first time I’ve had a place to call home since what’s felt like forever.
I found Rise Up through Mike Lucero, who graduated from the Reentry Program and now works at Rise Up full-time. We’ve known each other since we were young, and he thought it would be a good fit for me. I’ve really liked being here, and I’m trying to learn as much as possible about CNC so that I can get a good job to support my family. I feel great about how my life is going and the path I’m on, and I’m excited to keep being here for my son.
February 2025: Jairo
I was raised by a single mother in a low-income community, with my older brother being the only male role model in my life. After he joined a gang, I was also targeted. When I was 14, an older rival gang member of my brother’s pointed a gun in my face. I tried to tell him that I wasn’t in a gang, but it didn’t matter. Because my brother was in a gang, I was collateral damage. Before this moment, I was just a normal kid with normal friends going to school. But after this moment, everything changed. I was humiliated, and knew I needed help and protection, so I joined my brother’s gang.
When I was 17, I committed a crime and was tried as an adult. I was sentenced to life in prison at 18 years old. While I was in prison, I felt hopeless and kept making mistakes. I hit what I considered to be my rock bottom in 2018, and made a crucial decision on what I had to do with my life if I was ever going to have a chance of getting out. I turned my life around, got sober, attended self-help groups, got a job, learned two trades, and completed three degrees. Because I was making positive changes in my life and I fit the criteria of being a juvenile offender when I committed my crime, I was able to go to Board to see if I could be deemed suitable for release. People would tell me to be prepared to be denied since it was just my first time going to Board, but I was always a person who defied the odds. After my hearing, and after serving 25 years and a day of my sentence, I was found suitable and finally able to go home.
Growing up, I had been a good student, it was just that I gravitated towards the street rather than my education because I didn’t have the right support system. But now, I feel like my education and believing in a higher power saved my life. A week after being released from prison, I started my Bachelor’s degree at San Diego State University. Being in school has helped me tremendously, but it was hard at first and I had to navigate lots of new things like socializing with my classmates, and especially working on computers. Even though it was a culture shock at first, I’ve made new friends that I share things in common with, and I’ve been working hard to keep learning. I’m happy to say that after my first semester, I received one A and two B’s.
It’s been challenging acclimating back into society, but one thing I learned from being in prison as a young man, is to not be afraid to ask for help. I’m not ashamed to ask for help, and I think that’s helped me so much in school, making friends, and navigating everything since I’ve been home. So far, I’ve been blessed and ask God to guide me in my next steps in life. Every day, I wake up and am grateful that I’m out here making my own choices. I’ve been hiking mountains, going to the beach, spending time with people, and exploring where I can. I’m in transitional housing now, but the fact that I get to make the choice for myself of where I live afterwards is something I don’t take for granted, and I’m excited to make that choice.
I learned about Rise Up from my friend, Mike Lucero, who also joined Rise Up and is now on their permanent staff. I started the Reentry Program just two months after being released, and I know being here is going to help me on this next journey of my life, wherever it’s going to be. If I have the opportunity to do something, I’m going to do it, because I’m free now to right the wrongs in my life. One day, I would like to work with at-risk youth so they can learn from me and my story, and to help them get on the right path.
January 2025: Eli
I was about 4 years old when I moved out of the Philippines and to San Diego. Everything was new to me, from shopping centers to refrigerators. It was a shock to me to see so many things that I never knew about, but it seemed normal to everyone else. These things may have been new, but the thing that was bad was the household I was in. I grew up in an abusive household, which really affected how I felt. I was exposed to violence and abuse, and adults who didn’t provide for me the way they should. I always felt out of place where I went, due to my trauma and not knowing any English. My asking for help was acting out since it was all I knew – I didn’t know how else to do it. I carried the abuse with me and it became part of my mindset.
After 6th grade, I found a connection with people in the streets who had been through hard things like me. I used to hang out with kids my age who were into skateboarding like me, but I felt like they didn’t understand me the way that guys in the streets did. One day, one of those guys helped me by buying me new clothes so I wouldn’t be made fun of at school. I was shocked because no one had ever done anything like that for me. I felt like I could trust these people because it felt like everyone else in my life was lying to me. I started hanging out with them more, and getting more into gang life in 7th and 8th grade. In middle school, my foster family took me in and were really good to me. They tried to help me, and I felt things were getting better because I had supportive people in my life. But once my foster dad passed away in middle school, I felt lost again and the streets were there for me.
After hitting rock bottom so many times, whether due to violence or drugs, I knew things had to change. You do the same thing and expect different results, but I realized I had to stop doing the same thing if I wanted changes in my life. Especially because I want to be there for my three kids in a way that my parents weren’t there for me. I got sober a couple of years ago, and after getting out of custody in April 2024, I learned about Rise Up and knew I wanted to be a part of it.
After never thinking ahead, I now have an outlook of this guy in the future who’s a homeowner, doing right in society, and most of all, being a good role model for my kids. I’m currently in sober living and am excited to find my own place. It feels good to be stable and have a positive state of mind. Rise Up has helped complete that goal, but I got where I am today through my own initiative. I knew that all my past choices were not who I wanted to be or who I really was. It all starts with you as a person.
December 2024: Marty
I came from a good household, with my parents trying to instill good morals in me and my siblings, and trying to give us a good life. There were 12 kids in the house, and they did what they could, but I honestly felt that if I left, I wouldn’t be missed. At around 10 or 11 years old, I started running with gangs and being groomed for things I didn’t even realize I was getting into. At the time, I believed in what the streets were telling me, and I ran with it.
I first went to juvenile hall at 11 years old. I knew it brought my mother pain for me to get into trouble and be away from them, but the desire to be part of something was bigger than my family. Before I turned 18 years old, I had been in and out of the juvenile system so many times, it almost felt like juvenile hall was my home. Choosing the path of the streets changed my life forever. I was jumped and groomed into a gang at a very young age, and I felt like I wasn’t seen with my family, but I still feel it was my choices that led me to the path I was on.
During my last time spent incarcerated, I was serving a 15-25 year sentence, and ended up spending 35 years in prison. My wife and daughter had always moved whenever I moved to different facilities so they could be closer to me. They always supported me during my sentence. I realized that things needed to change when my daughter visited me in 2010 after my wife died so I could sign the papers to cremate her. She came to me and said, “I need you.” At that moment, she looked like a baby to me. From then on, I never looked back. There was nothing that could get in front of me. I was focused on change, getting self-help and mentors and a sponsor, and worked hard so I could make it back to life and to my daughter.
I was finally found suitable for release after I went to Board on June 27, 2023, just three hours after my second grandson was born. When I called my daughter to tell her I would be coming home, she nearly fainted to the floor. She always supported me, but she didn’t think she’d ever see the day that I would be free.
When I got out, I had to get a new ID, social security card, and learn so many things that I hadn’t had while I was incarcerated. At first, I lived almost 8 months in transitional housing, then received the keys to my very first apartment. It would be easy to be bitter and resentful about how many years I missed out on, but I don’t think like that. I’m happy to be alive, and I am focused on making a change. I’m always thinking about those who I’ve hurt in the past, and making sure that I don’t forget them, and that I don’t ever hurt anyone else ever again with my words or actions. I feel like my true self, the one that just wants to make people happy and laugh, is finally coming out after so long.
I’m so grateful to be home again and to have learned from my past choices. Rise Up Industries is helping me solidify my reentry through training me in work and supporting me through this positive journey. I can’t wait to keep experiencing new things. My dream is to travel so I can see more parts of the world that I hadn’t been able to see before. Now that I’m free, I won’t take anything for granted.
November 2024: Patrick
My childhood was normal, but it had its challenges. My father was an alcoholic and hung out with the wrong crowd. Eventually, my mom got tired of it and divorced him when I was thirteen. My older brother became my best friend and mentor. Being five years older, he taught me everything he was learning in high school, so I was way ahead of my grade level. School quickly became uninteresting for me, especially since I have severe ADHD. My brother also coached me in Pop Warner football, teaching me about teamwork and sportsmanship. I played various sports like baseball, football, and basketball during school and enjoyed skateboarding and riding bikes in my free time.
When my parents split, I spent a lot of time alone with my brother until he went to college. His departure left me feeling a deep sense of loneliness. My mom worked long hours as a nurse to support us, so I was often unsupervised and started experimenting with alcohol and other substances. I fell in with the wrong crowd and got into trouble, which followed me into my thirties.
In 2023, I was facing a serious charge that could have put me away for 25 years to life. Luckily, a judge saw potential in me and sent me to rehab after serving a year in county jail. I graduated from that program in March 2024 and moved into a sober living home but left because people were using drugs. Homeless and with nowhere to turn since I’d lost contact with my family, I held onto my spirit and determination.
During rehab, I discovered Rise Up Industries (RUI) and was determined to be part of it. A job fair led me to the RUI booth, and soon after, RUI accepted me into the program. With the help of friends and family I managed to set up a stable living environment to shorten the 3-hour commute daily to Santee for work.
Today, I have full-time employment, live in a house, attend college full-time, am active in my recovery and coming back stronger than I ever have been. RUI continues to mentor me in CNC machining and supports my growth in all aspects of my life. I am grateful for the blessings and the chance to build a better future. Thank you, God speed.
I miss you, Bro.
October 2024: T
I had a good childhood full of spending time with family. Over 20 of us lived under the same roof – parents, grandparents, siblings, cousins, aunts, and uncles – and we always made time for family dinners and prayers. Still, I used to get picked on a lot as a kid, and it broke my spirit. It was usually people closest to me who would bother me, but it was just the norm to everyone, they didn’t even realize they were doing it. Even my older brothers would pick on me to try to toughen me up, but it had the opposite effect on me. I didn’t fight back with my words, I just felt smaller. I couldn’t defend myself because I was so insecure and anxious. I felt like I couldn’t speak when anyone said anything to me.
When I was in 6th grade, there was an 8th grader that befriended me and my other friends. We saw the attention and influence he had from everyone, so we idolized him. After I got into my first fight, I noticed that everyone was giving me attention too. All the attention and praise was filling a void I had for so long, and it started to give me my confidence back. The 8th grader told me about the gang he was in and what they’re all about, and it interested me because I had felt so small for so long. I started emulating what it was to be a gang member in 6th grade, and actually became one in 9th/10th grade.
During my 15 years in prison, I gradually started feeling a change in my mindset. The more birthdays, graduations, celebrations, Christmas’s, and Thanksgiving’s I kept missing, the more my lifestyle was starting to wear on me. I remember sitting in my cell, looking at family pictures I wasn’t a part of, and it took a mental and emotional toll on me. When I first went to prison, my nephews and nieces were little, and I was sitting there looking at photos of them graduating high school. It made me tear up thinking of how much time had passed and how I’d missed so much of their lives.
The hardest thing I had to go through was losing my mom in 2020 and not even being able to go to her funeral. My biggest fear was losing her while I was in prison. After that, I would hear her voice in my mind to push me to do better, and I knew I had to keep trying. I started attending more classes and groups to gain more insight on myself, and kept trying to do better so I could be with my family again. When I finally got out, they were all so happy to see me after so long, and I was happy to finally be with them.
About 6 months after I was released, my parole officer told me about Rise Up Industries. Even though I didn’t know much about CNC, I decided to move forward with joining Rise Up. I’m grateful for this opportunity and all the resources available to us to make sure we have everything we need. I’m currently earning an engineering certificate alongside Rise Up’s program, so I plan to pursue a career in CNC or engineering after graduating from Rise Up. I hope to one day run my own company to support my family, since they’ve always been my biggest motivation.
SEPTEMBER 2024: EDI
I grew up with three brothers. My parents were there for us as much as they could be, but they also worked a lot to make sure we had everything we needed. We lived in Tijuana, so we had to cross the border early every morning to go to school. After school, we’d stay with family members close by. But we felt unwelcome. They didn’t want us around even though they were family and we were just kids waiting to go home to mom and dad. Instead of being with family after school, I started to hang out with friends. I felt they cared for me more than my family did. Some of my friends were already in gangs, so I followed in their footsteps. I would think, “my friend has this, and he has that – I want the same. My parents can’t give to me? Well, I can find a different way to get it.” This is how my life in gangs and drugs got started.
A month after I was sentenced to nine years in prison, my twin brother passed away. Everything changed for me after that. It made me think, “What am I doing with my life?” I had my family to think about, who were already going through so much; They were helping me when I felt that I should be helping them. I especially had to think about the baby daughter that my twin left behind without knowing, and my own son who I wanted to be proud of me. I thought of how out of something negative, there can be something positive. I started using my time to work on myself, learn, and see the things I did wrong and do them differently.
I got out in November 2023, a few months earlier than I was supposed to. I surprised my whole family and only told my mom the day before I got out. I was able to be home for the holidays and have my first Christmas in nine years. I was able to find a couple jobs after coming home, but I wanted to find a career. My parole officer told me about Rise Up, and then I met someone at my sober living home’s Super Bowl party who connected me with Mike Lucero at Rise Up. At first, I didn’t know anything about CNC, but I’ve learned so much since working here. Being with Rise Up has felt like being with another family. Everyone here stops what they’re doing to help each other.
Being here has changed my life. I’m going to keep working hard so my son can look up at a plane one day and say, “My dad helped make that.” If I can do it, then I’m pretty sure anybody else can; you just have to put your mind to it and be hungry for it.
AUGUST 2024: JOSEPH
I was incarcerated for 18 years before my release on March 31st. My transition back to society has been faster than I expected. My advice to those returning home is to make sure you have established a good support network in all areas of your life. At work, I have Rise Up. In my personal life, I have my church support group.
I found myself on the streets for the first time when I was twelve years old. I had run away from home and ended up sleeping in parked cars, tree forts, and in parking lots. The abuse I experienced at a young age caused me to have issues trusting adults. I lived in group homes from 14 to 18 years old. As time went on, I spend time on the streets, in juvenile hall, and finally in prison. Although my environment contributed to my homelessness, much of it also had to do with the choices I made because of my upbringing. Homelessness has a large impact on people’s lives. Lacking a safe place to sleep and show means you are less likely to show up for job interviews and to work.
The Reentry Program’s comprehensive nature, specifically the job training component, motivated me to join. Rise Up has provided several services for me like career training, continuing education navigation support, a psychologist, a book club, and healthcare navigation support. I aim to one day become a mechanical engineer.
JULY 2024: NICK
At the age of 17, I was sentenced to life in prison. After 21 years, at 38 years old, I was released in 2021. When you get out of prison, you’re one of the lucky ones if you have family or friends that you can stay with while you figure out your work situation and get on your feet. This can be tricky as a “lifer” because many relationships change during your time incarcerated. Family members pass away. Friendships fade over the years. It can be hard to learn a trade, stay away from addiction, and find stability when you don’t have somewhere safe to live.
As a “lifer,” one of the most important things is finding stability in the form of housing. For most of us, you’re stuck working two jobs just to pay the rent and put a roof over your head. This doesn’t leave any time for schooling or learning a trade. The barrier to finding and affording stable housing is one of the most insurmountable struggles after being released from incarceration. Without a roof over your head, you can’t hold down a job, learn a trade, finish school, etc.
I’m grateful to be a part of the Reentry Program at Rise Up because I get the opportunity to be paid to learn a trade and also have the luxury to continue my education.
June 2024: ERIC
Before starting the Reentry Program, I spent years trapped in a cycle of depression and hopelessness. I couldn’t seem to gain any traction in my life. I drank too much, bouncing back and forth from jail to sober living to homelessness, over and over again. I couldn’t see any future for myself. Finding Rise Up gave me a sense of hope. Deep down, I had this desire to be a father and a grandfather, and to be able to spend time growing old with my family.
Rise Up gave me a trade that I can take with me and do anywhere in the country. I have been a part of other programs in the past, but they only offered housing and job training. Rise Up serves the whole person by offering mental health services, financial literacy training, and even teaching you to use technology in addition to job training and so much more. I am going to give the opportunity to live the future I imagined for myself by retiring and spending time watching my grandchildren and great grandchildren grow up.
MAY 2024: LOREN
Growing up, I didn’t have consistent friends or family around me because I came from a military family, so moving from place to place was the only consistency I had. I found a new family in drugs and gang life when I was about 16 or 17. I’ve been in and out of incarceration from the ages of 18-35 and always ended up going back. Whenever I got out, I would sell drugs, live in hotels and transitional housing, and eventually end up getting arrested again. Back in 2018, I got sober and started my own automotive business building high-end cars, but I relapsed after a few years. I was upset that I kept going back to drugs even when I didn’t want to, but my addiction had a hold on me that wouldn’t let me go.
Things started looking up when I realized life is so much better and easier when you’re clean. I’ve been out of jail and sober since June 2023. I joined Rise Up Industries because I could get support while learning more about what I was already interested in. I’m taking advantage of all I can while I’m here, and I’ve really appreciated everyone I’ve met and everything I’ve learned.
I love what I’m learning in the classroom and being able to immediately apply it on the shop floor. I’m learning CAD/CAM programming to design parts the right way. I’ve already built a set of Harley handlebars, and a few parts for my car. It’s all going to help me reach my goal of designing automotive parts.
Aside from the job training, Wendy, Rise Up’s case manager, has been a huge support in helping me overcome barriers in other parts of my life so that I can focus in the shop. She’s helped me access gas cards, which has been so helpful because I live about 30 minutes from the shop. She’s also helped me access funding for additional shop tooling and work clothes and get significant legal fees canceled.
When you’re struggling with addiction, you really need to hit rock bottom on your own, then decide for yourself that you want to make a change. I am doing exactly that.
APRIL 2024: ADRIAN
I grew up in Mexico with my parents still together. It wasn’t until I got older that I realized my parents had a problem with drinking and drug abuse. As I got older, I started making bad decisions. A lot of it had to do with who I was spending time around. Specific friends and family members. I got into alcohol and drugs to numb the pain of the things I had been through. The times where I most avoided going home was when I was using alcohol or drugs, and ended up sleeping on the streets. I’ve always had somewhere to go, but there have been times in my life where I chose to be on the streets.
When I was arrested in October 2022, I spent time in prison thinking about how I was stuck in this broken cycle. I would start to do well, and get on the straight and narrow and then fall off again. I wasn’t able to stick to being sober and clean on my own. I really considered how much I was letting everyone down. It was a very hard realization.
Being on the street is tough. A lot of crazy things are happening out there. Sometimes there are people who genuinely want to help you, but it can be really hard to discern who to trust and who wants to hurt you.
I heard about Rise Up Industries through the transitional living home I stayed in. When I heard about the schooling involved, I wasn’t too sure. But now I know that I am very blessed to be here. I look forward to coming to work everyday. I love that the work is so hands on. And I love the on-the-job training and being able to make parts for customers. I am grateful to be a part of Rise Up Industries, and I look forward to seeing where a career in CNC machining can take me.
March 2024: MIKE
I grew up in Southeast San Diego. I was taken care of – we had a safe home, food to eat, enough clothes. My sisters and I were raised by our grandparents. I first got involved with gangs when I was 13 years old – it was shortly after my grandfather passed away. We were the only guys in the family, so maybe I was looking for that connection. One thing led to the next, and I was incarcerated at 17 years old.
My first experience of housing insecurity came 15 years later right after being released. I joined a transitional living facility. The hardest part about the living situation was the restrictions – for the first few weeks I wasn’t able to have a cell phone, all visitors were restricted except for family, and I had to get approval for leaving the home. I was finally in the free world – I didn’t want restrictions. I was encouraged to give myself space to unwind after being locked up. In some ways, it was nice because I didn’t need to worry about paying for housing for six months. This relieved the pressure of needing to find a job right away and gave me time to focus on myself. I needed time to secure basic documents like a birth certificate, social security card, and driver’s license. I didn’t have any of those.
Growing up, I rejected any new experience because I didn’t feel comfortable. This was the easy thing to do, and the thing I was familiar with. As my release date got closer, I made a commitment to myself to embrace new opportunities that came my way, even if they made me feel uncomfortable. Ultimately, that’s why I joined Rise Up Industries.
My parole officer introduced me to Rise Up, and I’ve been here now for five months. I’m so grateful for this supportive environment I’ve found. Wendy, our case manager, has this motherly aura about her. She’s been an amazing support. Darren, the shop supervisor, is on the floor with me in the machine shop, helping me learn the skills. I look up to Mike a lot because he also went through the program and is now on Rise Up’s permanent staff. Like Mike, I’m studying Sociology at SDSU in the evenings and want to invest back into my community’s kids. And finally, Janet, our therapist. Therapy was frowned upon in my community growing up, so this is my first experience with it. It’s great to have the opportunity to connect with Janet weekly and have that support.
FEBRUARY 2024: Colin
My parents instilled strong morals and values in me at a young age. Growing up in Point Loma, I was the “popular” surfer guy, very athletic. Everything was smooth sailing until I got into a serious bike accident at 16 years old. The severity of the accident led to me being in a coma for two weeks.
This accident was a pivotal point in my life. Upon waking from the coma, I had serious brain damage, I lost all of my muscle mass and weighed 113 pounds. I completely lost any sense of who I was. The doctor said that I could have a seizure and die at any moment. This triggered my new life motto of living for the moment regardless of the consequences. As I started to make poor choices, I began to attract negative influences. Eventually, this led to my incarceration.
Going to jail was one of the best things that could’ve happened to me. This was another pivotal moment in my life. I realized while in prison that I had enough of doing the things I was doing. I got sober while incarcerated. I decided that moving forward, I wanted to be a consistent person. Once released, I had a couple of years of sobriety under my belt but I enrolled in a rehab program anyway at the request of my parole officer. One day another man in the program was going on and on about how cool this program at Rise Up Industries was. I decided that once I finished the rehab program, I was going to join.
At first, I joined the Reentry Program just as a means to an end. But over time, I’ve realized how much this program has changed my life. Being a part of Rise Up helped me connect back to a piece of myself I thought I had lost in that bike accident. Something unique about Rise Up is that they actually care about your personal wellbeing. Being at Rise Up has built my self-confidence. Since I am going to graduate from the program soon, I have been taking part in job interviews. I feel confident in all that I have learned. This helps me feel good about asking for the wage I deserve instead of just accepting whatever is offered to me.
If you would look back at the person I was before starting this program, I have completely changed. I am in my third semester at City College, I have raised my credit score 200 points, and I already have a full-time job offer before even graduating. I am so thankful to have been a part of this program.