Roman's story
At 21, Roman Mendez committed a bank robbery. He was newly a father, under pressure to provide for his son, and made a decision that changed his life. He has been incarcerated since 2016. In that time, he has done the work to become someone different than the young man who walked into that bank.
What he has earned inside
- Associate degree in Business Management
- Associate degree in Welding Technology
What has kept him going
Roman is clear about this: family. Visits with his children. Photos delivered through PeliPALS. Those connections are the structure that has held up every hard week. Without them, the motivation to grow would be much harder to find.
Advice for people inside
- Take the most productive job you can get, especially one where you learn something
- Sign up for every education opportunity you can qualify for
- Protect your mindset. Positivity is a daily choice, not a personality trait
Advice for the people on the outside
- Be steady. Your consistency is the lifeline
- Say the affection out loud, in letters, on the phone, in photos
- Encourage them to use their time. Not to fill it. To use it
Roman closes with a simple thank-you to Pelipost for being a part of the journey.