I’m more than a number and more than my past. I’m a unique person and that’s what Fortune celebrates. I had an abusive childhood and was introduced to substance use at an early age. Unfortunately, substance use led to justice involvement. I couldn’t see a way out until I was introduced to The Fortune Society while incarcerated at Rikers Island.

What began as something to simply pass the time transformed into a refreshing, new path for me. Fortune doesn’t just focus on one thing—they care about me as a whole person. From credit counseling to creativity, they are helping me learn what it means to live a good life and reap the rewards from it. Every staff member I’ve interacted with has a great personality—I wasn’t expecting to be impacted on such a personal level by them, but I now know that Fortune was placed in my life for a reason. Today, I’m on track to secure stable housing, have recently been offered a full-time job, and am reconnecting with the writer I’ve always been. 

I love having the artistic freedom to express myself, especially when performing with fellow participants at Fortune’s poetry slam events. It’s wonderful creating with people who understand what I’ve gone through. All of us are giving ourselves a chance to have a good life, and that feels really good.