I was born on St. Croix in the US Virgin Islands. I moved to Texas at the age of ten with my parents and five siblings. 

When my parents separated, my mother was left to care for a large family with no formal education. 

Often working at fast-food restaurants to make ends meet, which was seldom met, we fluctuated in and out of homeless shelters. 

This is where my downward spiral began.

By seventh grade, I had dropped out of school, began selling drugs, and burglarizing homes to provide for myself. 

At the age of fifteen, I was incarcerated in the Texas Youth Commission for possession of a controlled substance and a home invasion. 

After serving three years, not even two months later, I was rearrested and served another eight months in state jail for burglary.

Upon release, I quickly fell back into the cycle of drugs and violence, ultimately serving an additional seven years as an adult in state prison for shooting two people in a teenage gang-related incident. 

I can testify first hand, “Recidivism is real and a difficult cycle to break.”

While in my cell as an adult, I realized this life was not for me and committed to turning my life around. 

I spent the remainder of my time in prison preparing for a better life after release.

After serving 10 years in the system, I broke the cycle of recidivism to become a successful entrepreneur, an amazing husband, and a productive member of society.

I am a member of numerous prison reform and support groups, including The Prison Entrepreneurship Program. 

I have also mentored over a thousand prisoners and ex-offenders to transform their own lives.

A prison sentence doesn’t have to be the end of anyone’s story. 

A better life outside of the criminal justice system begins with the right guidance and a willing mindset.