Congrats Jess, you made it!
Donation protected
This journey of ours is coming to its end, and our next journey will begin. Jess graduates with his Masters degree in Social Welfare from the University of California at Berkeley on May 16, 2015. He will be the first member of his family to attend and graduate college.
For those that don't know our story... Jess and I met in February of 2004, both at our rock bottom. We had a common goal, which was a better life. Through 6 months of intense drug rehabilitation at Narconon of Northern California we rediscovered our morals, ethics, strengths, and our true selves. We graduated the Narconon program and left the facility with nothing more than a duffel bag each. It was clear that though we had become sober, the real work was just beginning. There was no going back, only forward, and it was up to us to build that better life. Together we decided that Jess would pursue an education.
His journey began with 3 years of community college, taking night classes so that he could work during the day. He worked 7 days a week, 2 jobs, and managed to pull off a 4.0 gpa. I never once heard him complain.
Jess was then accepted into mutiple UC's, and chose to attend UC Santa Cruz. Another 3 years go by, in which he achieved multiple awards, recognitions, and of course graduated with highest honors in the program.
All of his hard work, sleepless nights, missed dinners with his family, earned him acceptance into one of the top 3 Social Welfare Masters programs in the country, UC Berkeley. Which brings us to today, to the tail end of this 9 year journey.
What I want people to know is that I have watched this boy grow into a man. I've watched him push himself beyond anything I could have imagined. I've watched him swallow the pain of missing so much time with his girls, all to create a future for them. I'm not sure that they will ever fully grasp what he has done in the name of them, but I do know that they will reap the rewards.
Our new journey will begin back in Santa Cruz, post graduation, where we have already secured a new place to live. I ask that if you can, please honor this mans hard work and determination by assisting with the paving of this new road. We fully believe in paying it forward, and know that years down the line we will find ourselves assisting someone achieve their dreams too.
For those that don't know our story... Jess and I met in February of 2004, both at our rock bottom. We had a common goal, which was a better life. Through 6 months of intense drug rehabilitation at Narconon of Northern California we rediscovered our morals, ethics, strengths, and our true selves. We graduated the Narconon program and left the facility with nothing more than a duffel bag each. It was clear that though we had become sober, the real work was just beginning. There was no going back, only forward, and it was up to us to build that better life. Together we decided that Jess would pursue an education.
His journey began with 3 years of community college, taking night classes so that he could work during the day. He worked 7 days a week, 2 jobs, and managed to pull off a 4.0 gpa. I never once heard him complain.
Jess was then accepted into mutiple UC's, and chose to attend UC Santa Cruz. Another 3 years go by, in which he achieved multiple awards, recognitions, and of course graduated with highest honors in the program.
All of his hard work, sleepless nights, missed dinners with his family, earned him acceptance into one of the top 3 Social Welfare Masters programs in the country, UC Berkeley. Which brings us to today, to the tail end of this 9 year journey.
What I want people to know is that I have watched this boy grow into a man. I've watched him push himself beyond anything I could have imagined. I've watched him swallow the pain of missing so much time with his girls, all to create a future for them. I'm not sure that they will ever fully grasp what he has done in the name of them, but I do know that they will reap the rewards.
Our new journey will begin back in Santa Cruz, post graduation, where we have already secured a new place to live. I ask that if you can, please honor this mans hard work and determination by assisting with the paving of this new road. We fully believe in paying it forward, and know that years down the line we will find ourselves assisting someone achieve their dreams too.
Organizer and beneficiary
Emily Avila
Organizer
Santa Cruz, CA
Jess Avila
Beneficiary
