The following episode was recorded in the Durango Detention Center in front of 16 juveniles with the hope that our words impact them and their lives moving forward. 

Cordero tells Mathew his story is not just the story of a boy from the hood, and it’s not just a prison story. But rather, it's a story about the transformative power of education, battling impostor syndrome, being courageous, and the importance of community.

He talks about the nuances between gangs and communities and the ways they are interlocked as well. Cordero opens up about the feelings of fear he felt about going to prison, what he thought it meant to be a man, the pressures he felt to live up to that standard, and how being in prison allowed him to see the human in all.

He emphasizes the impact of the information gap, how he battles imposter syndrome, and closes on what he would tell his younger self now if he had the chance.

Cordero Holmes represents possibility and growth through exposure, self-reflection, and the belief that one can cause change.

Cordero is now a junior majoring in public service and public policy and was recently awarded the 2022 Martin Luther King Jr. "Living the Dream Award" by the city of Phoenix. He says the life he is living now is bigger than he ever dreamed possible. He is on a mission to meet the responsibility he feels to improve his community and has ambitions of running for office.

"Don't lose faith and don't give up. Even when you feel like there is no hope, it is never hopeless.”

In this episode, you'll hear: 

• What Coredo's childhood was like and how he ended up in prison

Follow the podcast: 

• Listen on Apple Podcasts (link: https://apple.co/3s1YH7h) 

Connect with Mathew Blades: 

• Twitter - twitter.com/MathewBlades

 Additional Credits:

• LFPWLI is managed by Sam Robertson