I am a third year student at the University of Utah majoring Criminology and double minoring in Psychology and Sociology. I am currently in a Gang and Gang Violence class where we examine the historical development and contemporary realities of gangs within American society. The course explores how factors such as race, class, gender, family, and community shape gang formation, membership, and persistence, while also considering how gangs are constructed and responded to by law enforcement, media, and policy. We use sociological theories to analyze the social conditions that contribute to gang activity and to critically evaluate interventions aimed at reducing violence.

Throughout this course we had a number of guest speakers, one of them being Steve Silva. Steve, a 39-year-old from South Los Angeles, has lived through cycles of incarceration and hardship since early childhood. Neglected and abused by his father, he joined a gang at just 10 years old in search of belonging. While the streets gave him respect and power, they also left him battling anxiety, depression, and suicidal thoughts. After years of struggle, Steve reached a turning point when he realized real healing required leaving behind the violence and destructive habits that had defined his life.

With the support of faith and self-acceptance, Steve began to rebuild. Today, he owns a tattoo shop and leads a nonprofit organization designed to give young people what he wished he had growing up—guidance, love, and a safe space. His shop doubles as a refuge, where kids can gather, shoot hoops, and find mentorship instead of falling into the same patterns he once did.

Through his nonprofit, Steve provides youth with the tools to communicate, cope in healthier ways, and make positive choices for their futures. Though he has experienced painful losses to gang violence—including two brothers and his daughter’s relationship—he channels that pain into protecting others from experiencing the same path. Now, he partners with community relations officers to foster better understanding and trust between law enforcement and the community.

Steve’s mission continues to grow through The Watts Social. His goal is to provide more services for youth in a community where most programs stop offering support after age 15. Too often, teenagers are left behind and become victims of their circumstances—growing up in low-income neighborhoods oversaturated with crime, violence, gangs, drugs, and a poverty mentality that pulls them toward the streets. The streets may offer a false sense of family, but The Watts Social seeks to offer something deeper: real EMPOWERMENT and INSPIRATION.

The program exposes youth to environments beyond their immediate reality—through field trips to the arts, museums, music, tech companies, law offices, and more—while also creating space for simple joy and fun. Although the current budget only covers the necessities to keep the doors open, Steve’s passion runs deeper than resources. As he puts it: for many years he destroyed his community, and now it’s time to rebuild it—one youth at a time.

My goal with this project as well as in my own life is to give back to the community by continuing the work of EMPOWERING and INSPIRING young people. I am passionate about creating opportunities, building safe spaces, and helping youth see a future beyond the limitations placed on them. This final project is more than an assignment; it represents my vision for change. I want to be part of a movement that not only interrupts cycles of violence but also builds pathways toward hope, education, creativity, and self-worth.

To make this possible, I am using my public platforms to raise awareness and funds for The Watts Social. By sharing Steve’s story and the mission behind this nonprofit, I hope to inspire others to contribute—whether financially, through volunteering, or by spreading the word. Every voice and every dollar helps open new opportunities for the youth, and my goal is to use my influence to amplify this mission as far as possible.

Steve’s story shows that transformation is possible, and my goal is to carry that same spirit forward—helping Steve and his project to rebuild communities by investing in the next generation.