His Father’s Dream
Edgar was the first child born in the United States to a traditional Portuguese family. His father came here with a dream of great opportunity and a better life for his children. Edgar’s father taught his family to work hard, have faith, and realize their special talents.
Instead, Edgar took some missteps and became an angry teenager. He suffered from low self-esteem and associated with the wrong crowd. His desire to be loved and accepted in the wrong circles fueled his addiction to alcohol at an early age. He soon became a victim of addiction, and before he knew it, his life was spiraling down due to poor decisions and lack of direction.
In 1995, Edgar’s addiction and negativity became so unmanageable that in the heat of a volatile situation, he took another’s life. He was found guilty and sentenced to twenty years to life in the State of New York’s Correctional System. He knew he had done wrong but still blamed others for his troubles and remained in denial.
A Desire to Be Inspired
While serving time, he became aware he needed to change and had to find a way to hold himself accountable. He realized he wanted to free himself from the anguish of his ‘inner’ prison. Edgar stayed away from substances and started reading a lot. He grasped on to the positive part of prison life, embracing the programming of education and job training that would help him when he was eligible for parole. He applied what he learned by participating with other individuals attempting to grow and took an interest in helping raise self-awareness in others. He had a desire to be inspired, and to inspire others.
A Second Chance
With the completion of his sentence in 2017 and the help of further treatment, Edgar entered a program at a GEO Reentry Services’ Center in New Jersey. He was affected by the compassionate and enthusiastic staff. He used their unlimited resources to line up prospects for employment. Immediately he was offered two jobs on his first interviews.
Continued Success
Edgar is proud to be sober for 24 years. He still works at the job for the company that hired him in his chosen field of electrics. He has successfully established credit, a driver’s license, a motorcycle endorsement, and saved enough with his wife to get their own place. He credits others and the help offered to him to achieve a life of sobriety and productive citizenship. His success continues by always doing the right thing and he is committed to the concept that “true character is what you do when no one is looking.”
