Nathan grew up in southeast LA. His parents wanted a better life for him, and began moving to try to find it but lacked the resources to get him there. The neighborhood they ended up in was nearly as rough as the one he’d come from. Drugs were prevalent in his community. So much so that they were easier to come by than alcohol. 

At 13 he got Speed from a friend’s family down the street and started using it. He fell completely in love with drugs and the use multiplied almost immediately. Drugs became his whole world, even forgoing romantic relationships in favor of his first love.

At 19, his recovery journey started with a cycle of being kicked out of the house, doing recovery steps, being brought back home and the pattern repeated.

In 2007 he’d pieced together 5 years of sobriety, but hadn’t really made any real lifestyle changes. Then a death in the family sent him back into using. He had all the knowledge at that point and decided to do it anyway. He started smoking heroin and things fell apart again.

It wasn’t until he was left with a choice between living with a woman who would support his drug use and whatever else he needed or being honest with himself and going back to his recovery life that something changed. It was only then that he made the decision that would finally stick. 

After getting clean he worked his way from Home Depot to community college, to UCLA and then becoming a lawyer where he is able to help other people in the profession who came from a similar background to him. 

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