‘I learned that to be a great leader, you had to learn how to follow.’

Freeport

“I come from a first generation of immigrants, from Barbados and El Salvador, and grew up without a father. l was a young and dumb kid in my fifth year at a two-year school when joined the Army, then grew up and developed a fascination for wisdom.

“I realized I can learn something from every other person in this world if I just listen to the person speaking to me. I learned that to be a great leader, you had to learn how to follow.

“I became an all-Army MMA fighter, clocking in at 150 pounds, but I got hurt. Then I became a self-defense instructor, and through that work realized I have a special ability on how to teach anything to anyone because of the love I have for people.

“I was then deployed to Afghanistan as a 24-year-old sergeant who led teenagers into a war zone. I won a distinguished award for my leadership before getting out the Army and went on to get my master’s.

All of us, especially the ones who didn’t have positive role models growing up, would have saved so much time, energy and heartache if someone said the right thing to us when we were younger.

“I’ve come to the realization that there is a huge problem which I’m trying to find the solution for. The main thing right now is understanding that so many people want to do better, but there is no one around to help breathe life into new ways they can do things better.

“I’m just tired of watching the world burn, and I really want to be part of the solution instead of part of the problem right now.

“I really am trying just to help people in any way I can. I would have saved so much time, energy and heartache if someone had said the right thing to me when I was younger.

“Now that I have a 10-year-old son, if I’m gone tomorrow, I want there to be something for me to guide him. All of us, especially the ones who didn’t have positive role models growing up, would have saved so much time, energy and heartache if someone said the right thing to us when we were younger. Once I started hanging out with older folks, I learned so much from talking to them in a way that made sense.”

Interviewed by Ron Hart