Like most people, I’m not perfect. My story is a little unconventional.
While many people I’ve known who struggled with substance use began experimenting with drugs during their teenage years, my experience was different. I didn’t begin using illicit drugs until I was in my 20s, and the choices I made led me down a path I never imagined for myself. Nearly 15 years later, I found myself incarcerated, followed by time in a residential rehabilitation program, while facing a felony conviction, multiple controlled substance possession charges, and several misdemeanors. Those years left me with a criminal past that would continue to follow me long after I began rebuilding my life, as I often felt my criminal record defined my potential and limited the opportunities available to me.
However, those experiences are part of my story, and I decided they would not define the rest of it. Today, I have maintained abstinence from illicit substances for more than eleven years and have worked hard to rebuild my life and create a better future for myself.
Following my release from incarceration, I was placed on 4 years of supervised probation. Determined to turn my life around, I took that responsibility seriously and successfully completed probation without any violations, demonstrating my commitment to making positive changes in my life. During that time, I was fortunate to secure a position in membership services with a corporate real estate company. I eventually advanced into a product management role and continued to grow professionally over the next ten years.
As I continued advancing professionally, I realized there was still more I wanted to accomplish. I made the decision to return to college full-time and pursue opportunities I once thought were beyond my reach. Since starting college in 2025, I've earned a 4.0 GPA and was named to San Diego Mesa's Dean's List for the 2025–26 academic year.
I'm currently pursuing associate degrees in Sociology and Social and Behavioral Sciences with an emphasis in Child Development, with plans to transfer to UC San Diego to pursue a bachelor's degree in Sociology with a concentration in Law and Society and a minor in Human Developmental Sciences.
During the 2026–27 academic year, I'm also serving as a UC San Diego Underground Scholars Student Ambassador and a California Community Colleges Student Ambassador Fellow. I'm a member of the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society and am currently pursuing CalMHSA's Medi-Cal Peer Support Specialist certification. At the same time, I'm employed part-time with the County of San Diego, a local government career I once believed my past would make impossible, and I will also be starting a part-time position in Student Outreach at San Diego Mesa College.
On a side note, my schedule may seem busy, but I still make time to travel and spend time with family. Looking back, my schedule today is only a fraction of how busy I was when I was running the streets. The difference is that my time and energy are now invested in building a better future.
The distance between where I was and where I am today ultimately planted the seed for the CLEAR Path Initiative, which aims to provide essential legal record relief resources and support to individuals like me who are working hard to build a better future while overcoming legal barriers from their past.
As I continued my college journey, I realized that earning a degree was only part of preparing for what comes next. I wanted to start planning for life after graduation, and one of my first steps was looking for an internship. What I quickly learned was that internships can be treated much like regular employment. There are interviews, questions about gaps in your history, and in some cases, background checks when being considered for a position.
That immediately presented another barrier for me. I decided to get a Live Scan and obtain my California Department of Justice record so I could see exactly what was there and understand what I might be facing. Knowing that my record could limit future opportunities, I turned to college support programs serving formerly incarcerated and justice-impacted students, hoping they could connect me with legal record relief resources. While many of these programs provide valuable assistance, I discovered that access to these services can be limited, often due to insufficient funding and resources.
Had I not looked into this myself, I might never have realized how limited these services are within our community colleges. While colleges and reentry programs often promote the idea of a "Prison-to-University” pipeline, I believe earning a degree should not mark the end of student support. Degrees may open doors, but a mistake from the past can still prevent someone from walking through them.
That's why CLEAR Path Initiative is working to create the "Prison-to-Barrier-Free” pipeline.
Since record relief support was not available through college support programs, I spent weeks researching this on my own. The quickest option would have been to hire an attorney, but as a full-time college student, my financial resources were limited, and legal fees were beyond my budget. I first explored pro bono legal assistance through county programs, but to my surprise, these services remained unavailable for several months and, to my knowledge, continue to be unavailable today. Rather than continue waiting, I decided to take matters into my own hands, conducting further research and learning how to file the necessary petitions to address my record. Like anybody else, I just wanted the opportunity to compete in the job market without allowing my past to define who I am or the employee I aspire to be.
What surprised me was how manageable the process became once I understood what needed to be done. Most of the work involved researching the appropriate petitions, completing the necessary paperwork, and submitting it to the proper courts. My out-of-pocket expenses were minimal, mostly for paper, printer ink, envelopes, and postage. While I was able to navigate the process on my own, I also realized that not every student has the time, patience, or resources to spend weeks researching legal procedures, preparing documents, and navigating the court system. That realization became an important part of what CLEAR could eventually provide in terms of support for college students facing similar challenges.
As I went through this process, I began to ponder larger questions.
· How many other college students are pursuing careers that may eventually require a background check?
· How many are working toward a degree without realizing there might be another barrier waiting for them after graduation?
· And if criminal record relief can significantly impact future opportunities, why isn't it a greater focus within college support programs serving formerly incarcerated students?
I recognize that each person's history is unique, and not every student will qualify for record relief. However, this reality makes awareness all the more essential. Colleges do an incredible job of providing college students with support in enrolling, staying enrolled, accessing counseling and mental health resources, finding employment, and building supportive communities.
And those services DO matter.
Nevertheless, support should also encompass preparing students for what may come after they earn their degree. A student might find a job that does not require a background check today, but a future promotion, professional license, or career opportunity might. We should assist students in understanding those possibilities, along with resources for overcoming legal barriers, before they encounter any obstacles.
Having a history with the justice system myself, I know firsthand the possibilities that can arise through education and record relief. My educational and professional accomplishments represent more than personal success. They serve as reminders of how far I've come.
CLEAR has become more than a personal project. It is a public service initiative inspired by my lived experience and my belief that students deserve an opportunity to move forward without being unnecessarily limited by their past. By connecting students with record relief resources, CLEAR aims to improve their opportunities for employment, professional advancement, and financial stability. I also believe that addressing these barriers may contribute to stronger communities and improved public safety, although more research is needed to fully understand that relationship.
CLEAR is currently in its early stages as a community-driven pilot program, with the goal of establishing a sustainable model within the San Diego Community College District. Although funding and resources are limited, my focus is on building a strong foundation that will allow the initiative to grow.
My long-term vision is to establish CLEAR as a nonprofit organization that can eventually expand beyond San Diego and serve college students throughout California and, ultimately, across the country. Achieving this will require partnerships with colleges, licensed legal professionals, community organizations, advocates, policymakers, and others who share a commitment to removing barriers for justice-impacted students.
The goal of CLEAR is NOT to replace existing college support programs, but to complement the valuable services they already provide. Initially, CLEAR aims to help eligible students 1) obtain their California Department of Justice records and 2) receive education to better understand their records and explore potential record relief options. As the initiative grows and additional funding becomes available, my goal is to 3) expand these services to include access to legal representation for eligible students seeking record relief.
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