Overcoming Adversity
by
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In 1998, while waiting for my order at a drive-through in the inner city of San Diego, California, I felt the need to encourage the seventeen-year-old drive-through attendant. I only asked him if he planned on attending college. The neighborhood indicated that the attendant was more than likely the recipient of a tough life in this inner-city area known for high gang activity and crime.
Jose Orozco, head shaven, shared that he had dropped out of high school and figured that if he worked hard, he could one day become a shift leader at the fast-food restaurant. I asked him to reflect on when he was younger—what had he dreamt of becoming? He broke away from his serious and intense demeanor and smiled, saying that he wanted to be a lawyer. I told him that he could do whatever he set his mind to.
After seeing this same young man a few times at this restaurant, with my background in law-enforcement gang intervention, I felt compelled to assert myself to dig deeper and see if Jose was seeking a better life. I brought him a GED packet so he could finish school and go to college. I gave him my business card and assured him that I believed in him. I told him if he was serious, I would help him go to college.
After getting to know Jose for a few months, Jose began sharing with me the challenges of his life, such as how he had been on his own for many years after his mother had died when he was only eight years old and his father died when he was twelve, both of cancer. Jose also did not have legal status in the United States.
What would transpire over the next fifteen years is something that we only see in movies, yet this was real life. Jose earned his GED, attended junior college, and then went to San Diego State University, where he earned a double bachelor’s degree in philosophy and political science. During this time, Jose received his Certificate of Citizenship. He was then accepted to law school, graduated, and is now a practicing attorney! Amazing, right?
Here is where it gets even more amazing. During this journey, Jose would ask me why I never went to college, as I was encouraging everyone else to do just that. I explained that I barely made it out of high school and had ADHD and that I was not cut out for college. I explained that when I became a police officer, I had only a high school diploma. I would share the challenges of working as a police officer with ADHD. Jose did not accept that and told me that I was making excuses and should enroll in college. He and I started college at the same time, and we did homework together every weekend.
Attending college was extremely difficult for both Jose and me. We would find ourselves encouraging each other as we met weekly to help each other with homework. Jose was great at math, while he struggled with writing. I, on the other hand, struggled with math yet had strong writing skills. Where Jose was weak, I was strong and vice versa.
At times, Jose would reflect and wonder whether all of this commitment to college would one day pay off. Jose was very worried about obtaining his legal documentation in the United States. Because of his doubt, it would cause him to feel helpless. I encouraged him, saying I firmly believed that he would reap what he sowed. He, in turn, encouraged me, saying that my working hard for a college degree would pay off for me as well. This iron-sharpening-iron friendship would keep us on track and moving forward.
During this time, Jose would become acquainted with another young man a few years younger, Agustin Peña. He would do for Agustin what I did for him. Agustin also enrolled in junior college, then San Diego State University, and then law school. While Agustin was at San Diego State University, his fourteen-year-old brother was shot and killed during a random act of violence. Agustin pressed on, knowing that the greatest gift he could give to his little brother was to live his life for both of them. Agustin is now a practicing attorney!
During Agustin’s journey, he met a young man named Irving Pedroza. He walked alongside Irving, and now Irving has graduated law school, and he too is now a practicing attorney!
During Irving’s journey, yet another young man came along named Jose Olivera. Irving walked alongside him, and he is currently in law school. Jose, now fired up, met a young man named Luis Gonzalez who was also in law school, and they both walked side by side through their journey.
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About the Book
When former police officer Kevin LaChapelle crossed paths with two inner-city, at-risk young men in California, three lives changed forever. In Overcoming Adversity, LaChapelle shares the inspirational story of how this transpired.
In this memoir, LaChapelle narrates how he met Jose Orozco and Agustin Peña and how he mentored and encouraged them to follow their big dreams and attend college. In turn, it describes how the two young men challenged LaChapelle to earn a college degree while living with ADHD.
Overcoming Adversity tells this story to shed light on LaChapelle’s work as executive director of the nonprofit PowerMentor project. Since 1990, he and others have been impacting people’s lives through mentoring. Bringing wisdom gained from a diverse background that has included experience as a police officer, an author, an instructor, a professor, and health-care administrator, LaChapelle develops future leaders by modeling leadership behavior, connecting with them, and involving them in purposeful real-life projects. His mentees have risen to leadership roles, many evolving from high school dropouts to lawyers or law enforcement officers.
About the Author
Kevin LaChapelle holds a doctorate of education in leadership, a master’s degree in public administration, and a bachelor’s degree in business management with emphasis in organizational development. He is the founder of the nonprofit PowerMentor project. LaChapelle is also a health-care executive, adjunct professor, and author of several other books.