What is your passion?

I have a passion for a few things in life which include sports, personal growth, writing, poetry, music and reading. I’ve always felt a greater energy drive me towards helping people but I never looked at it as a passion. It’s only been over the past few years that I began to realize how fulfilled I felt whenever I help others. You know, that feeling you feel when you lay down to sleep, and are just overwhelmed with peace. That sense of fulfillment allowed me to realize that I also have a passion for helping people.

When did you realize this was your passion?

I realized this passion about 4 to 5 years ago but it’s only recently that I have been approaching it with such confidence and courage. I enrolled in Touro College Graduate School of Social Work to build on those feelings and ideas of helping my community. As time passed I began to realize how passionate I was about the profession of social work but even more so passionate about the opportunity I had to empower myself and others.

Many people feel as though social workers are overworked and underpaid. What makes you still want to pursue social work?

I believe life is about perception. I may perceive the profession of social work a little different from those who feel as if we’re overworked and underpaid. Granted, I understand in this life money equates to comfort but I’ve been looking at life from a different point of view. Of course, I need money to survive within this capitalistic society but the way I look at the profession of social work is as my greatest contribution to society while I’m here. You see, the way I perceive life may be a little morbid for some but the truth is that we are all eventually going to pass away, and I constantly remind myself what will be my lasting contribution once I’m gone. Although I understand the importance of money in our world today, I’m more concerned with my contribution.

Who motivates you to keep going?

I have several people who motivate me to continue moving forward. In no particular order, my mother, daughter, girlfriend, sister, brother and friend.

Many people don't understand how important representation is in regards to social work. Why is representation important to you?

What matters is who you are when the cameras are off, right? That’s something I heard some time ago, and for some reason it always continues to play in my head. Integrity and discipline is what I continue to strive towards every day. At times, I fall short but for the most part, I know exactly who and what I want to represent. I always remind myself, I must be grateful for who I was and where I’ve been because that is the only way I’ll be able to appreciate where I’m at today and where I’m going tomorrow.

As a Social Worker, how do you practice self-care?

Self-Care is so important, unfortunately people tend to neglect themselves because of the fast-paced days we are faced with. I learned early on how important I am, and how I need to take care of myself first before caring for others.

I find peace in meditating each morning. It’s during those few minutes of silence that I can better analyze the chaos going on in my head. I write a lot as well, especially when I feel depressed or overwhelmed. I can’t explain how many times my journal has helped me get through some dark times.

I also implement a rule which I call “the hour of decompression.” An hour before I go to sleep, I like to stop everything I’m doing which includes turning off the laptop, putting my phone to the side and any other distractions, and simply take an hour for myself. Whether I choose to watch TV, read a book, or talk to my girlfriend, that hour belongs to me to do something that will allow me to go to sleep in a tranquil state, instead of feeling high strung from the stressful day.

Describe something you've had to overcome within yourself to become greater, better.

I’ve had to overcome countless vices and emotional turmoil to get to where I’m at today. Till this day, I am still overcoming countless other things that still plague my existence. I think people are consistently evolving and bettering themselves as individuals. One thing I had to overcome was forgiving myself for a lot of choices I made earlier on in my life. Choices that hurt me in many ways, and ate away at me for years. It took time, and I continue to battle even till this very moment, to let go of that heavy bag of rocks I carried which weighed me down for far too long.

Describe a hardship you've faced while pursuing your passion.

I face many hardships as well. For instance, many people think I look very young so they tend to not take me serious at first. Another issue I’ve faced is that I am a Hispanic male from the South Bronx whose ambition can be misunderstood at times as being aggressive. The fact that I am working a full-time job, going to school, doing my internship and still trying to live my life, also tends to become a hardship as well. This isn’t anything new though. We are all faced with hardships, at this point I’ve disciplined myself to simply embrace them and invite the universe to bring it on!!

Describe one of your proudest moments in relation to your passion.

I would have to say my proudest moment right now in relation to my path in social work would have to be the award I received from the Hispanic Coalition for being a Rising Star in this profession. I received the award with my mother and girlfriend by my side. My daughter was unable to make it because of her softball game. Go Lady Diamondback!!

Is there anything about you (gender, race, creed, etc.) that motivates you to continue doing the work you do?

As a Hispanic male from the South Bronx, I find that to be all the motivation I need. I’ve heard stories of countless African Americans and Hispanics being overlooked, so I guess I use that as fuel to make sure our message is heard.

What are some things that needs to be improved in the field of social work?

I truly believe that social work organizations need to work in helping the people become aware of all that the profession offers. I also believe social workers should be at the front line of all the social unrest that is happening right now in our society. We as social workers need to find a way to bring people together, not only social workers but people from all works. This profession should be looked at as more than just case management and/or therapy.

Name a quote, song lyric, etc. that:

1) Describes you

Song: Inner City Blues by Marvin Gaye

Quote: “There’s nothing more genuine than breaking away from the chorus to find the sound of your own voice” – Po Bronson

2) Describes your passion.

Song: Inner City Blues by Marvin Gaye

Quote: “There’s nothing more genuine than breaking away from the chorus to find the sound of your own voice” – Po Bronson

What advice do you have for people who are too afraid to follow their dreams? Advice for those wanting to pursue social work?

It’s hard to give advice to people and urge them to “follow their dreams” because everyone situation is different but I would say, before anything, make time and figure yourself out before deciding on what you want to do. We live in a world that encourages instant gratification and unrealistic values, therefore before pursuing whatever your passion may be, make sure to make time to write, meditate and learn who you are and what you want out of life.

For those thinking about pursuing social work, I would have to say that it is a great profession to help people, make change in your communities. The profession like everything else is all about what you make of it. At first I thought social work was all about case management and therapy but come to find out, social workers are involved in just anything you can think of.

Lada: I met James from Facebook. We had a few mutual friends and he invited me to be part of a network for social workers. I was inspired by 1) a male social worker of color 2) his daily statuses that encouraged us to be better, go hard and stay focused. Thank you so much, James, for taking time to do this interview.