I haven’t even gone to a real fire line yet and I already feel the intensity—the hiking with 40 pounds on your back, plus whatever tool you’re holding. It’s challenging, so you have to physically and mentally tell yourself, ‘you got this. You’re stopping yourself, no one else is.
My name is Jason and, right now, I’m in Ojai camping out and learning to fight fires as part of ARC’s new partnership with Future Fire Academy. When I was incarcerated two months ago, I couldn’t imagine that in one week I’d be graduating as a type one firefighter.
While incarcerated for four years in a mixture of juvenile halls and LA County Jail, I had multiple phone calls with certain family members, and just decided then and there: ‘you know what, time to rise up, time to start living my life and making a change.’
When I got out, I moved to the Catalina House. They helped me out with everything, including finding this career and program (Future Fire Academy) with the help of Scott Budnick and ARC. And I feel like I’ve just been living wonderful ever since I got out.
Even before my time incarcerated, I’d gone through a lot of challenges. Even though they made me into the man I am today, some days were tough. When I decided to turn my life around, I started by thinking about change, not just for myself, but for my family and other youth like me.
In this program, a goal that I have for myself is just do my best—not try my best but to do my very best and push myself to the limit. You never know your true limit until you reach for it.
When I’m in those tough moments, I picture my family. I picture those loved ones around me. I picture what I could truly become if I just push a few steps forward.
I also think of my younger self and what I’d say to him.
I’d tell him, “everything’s going to be alright. You don’t have to keep stressing. You’re young. There’s always going to be mistakes that happen in life. And you learn from those mistakes. You live and you learn. Dream big, dream unrealistic, and make your dreams happen.”
