David Andrade
Homeboy Industries
Los Angeles, CA USA
"You have to be a courageous person to ask for that helping hand."
Career Roadmap
David's work combines: Education, Non-Profit Organizations, and Teaching / Mentoring
See more careers and stories that connect to your interests.
Take Roadmap Quiz
Day In The Life
Life & Career Milestones
My path in life has been direct
1.
He was raised by his mother and sisters, so he didn't have a strong male role model to look up to.
2.
As a result, his default "mentor" was an older cousin who was constantly in and out of prison.
3.
When he was a teenager, he started doing hard drugs-meth, PCP, cocaine-and he eventually was sent to prison.
4.
After nine years in prison, he was sent home with $200 and not much else.
5.
He'd heard that companies like Walmart and Target were "felon-friendly," but after interviewing for a few different jobs, he never heard back.
6.
One of his biggest problems was his antisocial behavior and his tendency to get into fights, so he signed up for therapy through Homeboy Industries.
7.
Homeboy Industries gave him a job, the right treatment for his drug addiction, and most importantly, a place where he could "feel comfortable."
8.
Worked his way up from a janitor, to now leading Homeboy's solar panel program; he promised his mom he'd never go back to prison, and kept his word.
Defining Moments
Experiences and challenges that shaped me
I was a drug user when I was younger. Meth, Coke, PCP, all those drugs. I did everything.
I joined a gang and eventually got sent to prison.