At fifteen years old, I was shot at point-blank range and left paralyzed. The world saw a teenager navigating life with crutches, leg braces, and a wheelchair. What they couldn’t see were the invisible scars: the years of mental and emotional struggle I carried in silence both as a youth and as an adult.

Long before that traumatic night, I was a pre-teen struggling with relentless bullying, witnessing domestic violence at home, and growing up in a society that normalized violence. Like so many young boys, I was conditioned to bury fear and sadness. Unexpressed, those emotions turned into anger, confusion, a deep longing to belong, and even moments of self-harm. I sought refuge in neighborhood gangs and used drugs and alcohol to numb a constant, aching fear. These were choices that ultimately altered the trajectory of my life.

But I learned a fundamental truth that changed everything: It is not just what happens to us in life, but how we choose to respond.

I chose to refuse hatred and dedicate my life to helping others find something stronger to stand on. In 2001, I founded Wisdom and Understanding, LLC, spending over two decades as a speaker, coach, and youth development specialist serving schools nationwide.

Yet, after years on the frontlines, I realized that coaching and lecturing alone weren't enough. To truly address complex trauma and connect people with the full spectrum of care they deserved, I needed to deepen my impact. Driven by that purpose, I returned to academia, earning my BSW from Rutgers University and my MSW from NYU Silver to gain rigorous, professional clinical training under top professors in the field.

In my book, How to Fall Up, I distill these lessons, combining over twenty years of boots-on-the-ground experience with advanced clinical practice.

Resilience isn't something we are automatically taught at home or in school; too often, we learn how to cope as we go. Hurt people hurt people, but my mission is to help people help themselves.

Today, as a Licensed Master Social Worker, psychotherapist, survivor, author, and differently-abled father, I bridge lived experience with clinical authority. Through forgiveness, conflict resolution, positive coping strategies, mindfulness, and psychotherapy, I empower youth, adults, and families to realize a powerful reality: You are stronger than you realize.