Back in 2010, I was trying to find my place among peers who seemed to come from a different world. To bridge this gap, I started selling weed. It wasn’t about the money; I was seeking acceptance among the affluent, mostly white kids at my school. Little did I know, this side hustle was setting the stage for a tumultuous yet transformative journey.
Everything changed when the police raided our dorm rooms. Despite finding nothing in mine, the mere fact of the raid led to my expulsion. At 18, facing college officials and police, I was bluntly told, “you’ll never graduate from here.” Yet, this wasn’t the end for me; it marked the start of a new chapter.
I was caught in the grip of probation for 7 years, juggling weekend jail time & the fear that any small slip-up could reset all my progress. Despite these hurdles, I graduated from a new college, achieving something I was once told was impossible and becoming the first in my family to do so. I even moved out of state for a job, challenging the limits of my probation.
It cost $10,000 and the retirement of an old prejudice judge before I could finally close that chapter, thanks to a new judge and a newfound persistence. Those long years taught me resilience, showed me the strength in bouncing back, and underscored the importance of pushing forward, no matter what.
From these experiences, GreenDoor opened—not just as a business, but as a beacon of resilience and hope. It’s a declaration that our beginnings don’t have to dictate our endings.
GreenDoor is more than a testament to my journey; it’s a symbol of possibility.
It stands as proof that overcoming adversity isn’t just about surviving; it’s about thriving.