SUCCESS STORIES

Client – Ronald Vinson

Program – Role of Men
Location – Richmond

Ronald Vinson grew up in West Oakland and spent the first five years of his life visiting his father in San Quentin prison where he was serving time for murder. His father soon turned his life around, got out of prison and provided well for his family. Unfortunately, he died by the time Ronald was 10 years old.  After that, life was anything but stable.

His family moved to Richmond and was struggling to recover from the loss of the family’s sole provider. Ronald became the primary caregiver for his younger siblings and started hanging out with his aunts and uncles who were into drugs. “I was lost, and nothing productive was going on.” He started running track at Kennedy High School and was a good student, but when his mother moved away, he dropped out of school, became homeless and thought everything was hopeless. 

His life changed when he enrolled in Kappa Continuation High School and met teacher Joel Clark and Coordinator of Brighter Beginnings Role of Men program which Joel runs after school on the Kappa campus.  “He stepped up and filled the role of my father.  He talked to me about so many things that were bigger than my situation, like politics, the stock market, and the law.  He took me to baseball games and exposed me to various trades and gave me something to reach for.”

When his girlfriend and then fiancée became pregnant when Ronald was 17, he became active in Brighter Beginnings Role of Men program, where he learned about pregnancy, relationship issues, and how to be a good father.  Joel Clark also helped Ronald get a job with the City of Richmond.  “I took it seriously, because I was having a baby.  It allowed me to be independent and take care of myself and my family.”  After graduation, he continued full time with the City of Richmond and went to Contra Costa College at night. “I felt great.  I hadn’t had a family since I was 10, and suddenly I was in the father role instead of the son role.” After his son, Ronald Jr., was born, life became more complicated when Ronald had to take care of his mother and younger siblings who moved into his house.  Despite all the hardships, he persisted.  “I wanted to be so far from what I came from and take my son so much further than that. Mr. Clark told me, ‘Don’t ever be content; continue to climb the ladder because it’s burning up behind you.’” 

Ronald wanted a job where he could give back to the community.  He decided to go into law enforcement and made it through the long and arduous hiring process for the Richmond Police Department.  He graduated from the Contra Costa County Police Academy and completed his training with the Richmond force and married his fiancée. What keeps him motivated in a tough world?  “I love it when I get to help people in my community.  What keeps me going is that I don’t want to let down people like Joel Clark, my wife and my son.  To live like the way I grew up, you might as well be dead.  I want to work in schools and give something back like Mr. Clark gave to me.  He taught me how to be a man. I learned how to learn and how to accept my life. He got me comfortable with who I am.”

Joel Clark is still working with Ronald and about 100 others who have gone through the program and still check in with him regularly.  “Ronald is quite resilient.  In spite of all the difficulties he had to go through, he knew where he was going.  He is a good provider and a good father.”