My name is Jessie Reyez, and it’s an honor to stand before you today and share my story. I grew up in San Diego, California, but I’ve spent the last 20 years here in Las Vegas. My journey has been anything but easy—three prison sentences later, here I am. My turning point came when I had my son, and the system got involved. By then, I was already on my second child, and my daughter was actually born while I was incarcerated.

In jail, I was given the chance to join a program that everyone spoke highly of. It was called Hope for Prisoners, and they came through asking if anyone wanted to join. I was at a point where I knew something had to change. I was expecting my daughter, and my children deserved a better future than I could offer them at that time. So, I joined Hope, wanting to see if it could actually make a difference for me.

Hope offered classes for those of us who were serious about making a change—anger management, substance abuse counseling, parenting classes, you name it. I took every single one, knowing that I needed to go all in. The last time I got arrested, I was sober but still making the same choices. It was then I realized that my problem was bigger than just the drugs; I was addicted to the lifestyle. Being sober in jail was a wake-up call, and Hope helped me confront the reality of my choices.

Upon graduating from Hope, something incredible happened— Earl was able to connect me with a job at Kolay Manufacturing. At that time, many of us from the program were getting hired there. I knew that if I put in the hard work, I could move up. Hope didn’t do the work for me, but what they did was put me in a position where I could thrive. They gave me an opportunity, but it was on me to make the most of it.

I started as a line worker and eventually worked my way up to become the manager of quality control. Unfortunately, the company closed down, but they still have a distributorship out of California. Out of the 100 employees who worked there, I was one of three they decided to keep. Today, I’m the sales manager for Las Vegas, with a position and pay that I could only dream of before. Hope gave me a connection and an opportunity that I wasn’t going to get on my own, especially not as someone just getting out, trying to figure out the right path forward. They put a plan in place for me, I followed it, and the rest is history.

At one time, I thought money and status were the most important things. But I’ve since realized that family and friends are what matter most. That’s true love. Today, I have full custody of my kids, I’m able to take care of my mom, and I’m engaged to a wonderful woman, Eleanor Powers, who is also a Hope graduate. She even works at Green Valley Ranch—just in case anyone thought it was impossible to get a job in a casino after being here. With Hope, I’ve learned that if my will to succeed is stronger than my challenges, anything is possible. “If you think you can, or you think you can’t, you’re right.” The difference between success and failure is effort. As long as you keep trying, you won’t fail.

In life, there are three types of people: those who watch things happen, those who wish things would happen, and those who make things happen. You have to decide which one you’re going to be.

Thank you to everyone at Hope for believing in me, and thank you all for listening to my story.