Today we’d like to introduce you to Jose Bojorquez.
Hi Jose, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
After serving 13 years in a state prison, I was granted the opportunity to be released to a re-entry program, where I was set to serve the rest of my time on an ankle monitor. This was key for me because had I not been released to this program, I would have been back on the streets without yet working on myself. This program provided the tools needed to be able to change. See, at a very young age, I developed a fixed mindset where my neighborhood and the lifestyle were all I knew. I grew up in a gang-infested neighborhood where, daily, all I saw was violence, drugs, money, and gangs. I then normalized this activity and developed what is called a fixed mindset around these things. So, having the opportunity to be in the program was fundamental. While at the program, I was able to participate in groups that were both in-house and outhouse. I wasn’t too fond of these programs because I thought they were a waste of time. I had accidentally been locked into class after walking in looking for my friend. I was upset that I had to sit through this class. While in the class, the individual who was talking caught my attention when he said (who wants to be a businessman and work for himself?) If there was something I always wanted to do, it would be to be an entrepreneur. So, I listened as he went on, he started to tell his story and the more he spoke the more his story resonated with mine. It was there that I first learned about Fixed and growth mindset. From that day on, I started to attend every class I could. Something started happening, I didn’t know at the time what it was but what I was doing was self-actualizing. One of the programs that I participated in was DEUCE Community; they would come to the program and offer group workouts. After a while, I started to intern with this program at a local Venice Gym. At first, I thought that I would go there and learn how to coach and work out. What I didn’t know was that I would learn more about leadership development and find a community that embraced me and pushed me to be the best version of myself each day. While doing this internship, I was also a participant in an Americorps program (CJL), where I would first get a taste of Case management. I then got released from the re-entry program on parole. I continued with DEUCE Community, earning a paid internship while at the same time going through a business 101 they offer. I then, alongside my friend, started a mobile detailing business that became pretty successful. I went away from DEUCE Community because of personal reasons and was seeking success elsewhere. I then ended up working for St John’s Community Health, where I would case manage a caseload of 30-plus returning citizens. My job was to connect my clients with anything they may need, such as medical, dental, mental health services, job linkage, housing, and so much more. I then got the opportunity to come back to DEUCE Community and be their first paid employee. I now serve as the director of programs, where one of my primary roles is to help our participants and interns discover their unrealized potential. Today, I am an individual who continues to search for ways to grow. I am currently in the process of developing our youth program, which would help kids from diverse backgrounds discover their unrealized potential so that they can live meaningful lives.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It has not been a smooth role because of my fixed mindset. I was still drawn to my neighborhood, my lifestyle, my community. It took the effort of multiple organizations and individuals to get me past the hump. See doing the things I always used to do was easy, I had been doing that my whole life. It was educating myself, being responsible, and being a man of integrity that was hard.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I work with those who are system, substance, and housing impacted. I engage our participants with a community workout, which then leads to intense case management. I help them either directly or indirectly with anything they may need. I would say that I specialize in connecting with my community. I can meet them where they are because of my lived experience. I am known for asking them what is it that they want to do. For most of our lives, we are told what we need to do, so I like to start by asking them what they want to do. I am most proud of the person that I am today and that rather than taking from my community, I’m giving to it. What sets me apart from others is that I have a genuine heart, I am a giver by nature, and can make things happen.
Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
I would say to continue to challenge yourself and seek growth. Find what you are passionate about and pursue it.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://deucecommunity.org
- Instagram: @deucecommunityinc
- Facebook: DEUCE Community Inc.
