My name is Paul. I'm the first in my family to graduate from college and I'm currently enrolled in a Cybersecurity Master’s program. I'm proud of where I stand today as I had to overcome obstacles to get here. Growing up in a low-income household, I experienced firsthand the effects of poverty and watched my hard-working parents make ends meet. Their struggles inspired me to achieve a higher education for our future. I started working at the age of 13 in the food industry along with my father. Later obtaining my A.A. in Criminal Justice, working two years as a security guard at a local hospital. Working there, I was inspired by the first responders to enroll in an EMT certification program which the hospital sponsored. While working as an EMT, I sustained injuries that unexpectedly severely affected my quality of life. Due to this unfortunate life-changing event, the need to change career paths was necessary as I could no longer serve as a First Responder. While my passion for helping others and saving lives will always remain, I am thankful for the time I was able to serve including during the COVID-19 pandemic. Living with chronic pain is not easy, but I manage to push through work, school, and my responsibilities as a father to obtain my Bachelor’s in Cybersecurity in 2020. Working in the technology industry had always been another dream of mine and it was a bittersweet transition given the circumstances that led to my decision to leave public service.