I was born on March 13, 1976. That makes me 48 years old right now. I went to prison when I was 24 years old for a drug-related crime. I began serving that sentence in a low-security prison. From there, I went through various adjustments, including medium-security prisons and minimum-security prisons.
After 22 years, the Bureau of Prisons authorized me to transition into a home confinement for reasons related to my health. I’m very grateful to have received support that helped me along the way.
When I came home from prison, I didn’t find as much support as I would have liked from the system. In fact, I had to find a job, which was difficult because I had so many restrictions on my life. I had a hard time finding employment because of my lengthy prison term, my lack of educational credentials, and the fact that I needed so many permissions from authorities. Employers did not want the scrutiny of working with government oversight.
I began working through the Prison Professors’ program to learn about the digital economy. With sponsorship, I was able to enroll in a LinkedIn learning program. And I am still learning about computers, about applications, about artificial intelligence. I am also taking self-directed courses that are helping me to learn about business.
I will continue taking courses that teach me how to communicate more effectively. For example, I need to learn how to do the following:
- Write business plans,
- Write emails,
- Use word processors,
- Use artificial intelligence,
- Improve my math skills,
- Learn more about computer applications.
All of those skills will help me in business. Because of the progress that I made in those courses, I succeeded in getting a scholarship to enroll in a program that will lead to my earning credentials as an operator of heavy equipment. Those credentials will allow me to improve my income. I’m currently earning $20 to $24 per hour as a commercial class-a driver. With the new credentials, I anticipate that I’ll earn somewhere in the $60 per hour range. That is almost three times my current wage–and it will have a significant impact on my life. To be clear, a good chunk will go toward retirement. I’m motivated to prove worthy of that opportunity.
Through this program, I intend to document how hard I am working on this plan. If I were advising anyone else, I would be telling them to educate themselves from the day that they went into prison. I kick myself for not investing more time to improve myself. I focused on my prison reputation rather than on investing.
But it’s never too early and it’s never too late to start sowing seeds for success. Through this profile, I will show others how I am using my time today to prepare for success tomorrow.
I will write an update to this profile after June 30. That will give me three months to grow and I want readers to follow along on the journey.
