By Gregory Stevens

I arrived at San Quentin in May 2022 not knowing what “life” would look like or the belief my future would be filled with opportunity and hope. Shortly after being housed in West Block my journey crossed paths with Chase BENOIT, Kenny VERNON, and Bruce Fowler – all KidCat members. They recognized I was in need of positive guidance and opportunity so they reached out offering advice and encouragement. I witnessed their walk in life and inspired my willingness to be open-minded, seek change for myself, and strive to become an asset to the community.

I was invited to attend my first group, KidCat Juvenile Life Support Group. I was nervous, fearful of the unknown, and felt like a deer in the headlights. The curriculum presented and the terms spoken were totally foreign to me, but a spark was ignited and I kept showing up on Sundays.

I quickly realized this was a big blessing and the opportunity I needed to change the path of my life.

JLSG opened my eyes to a whole new outlook and thought process. It has encouraged me to be accountable for my actions and challenge myself and my beliefs that drove my actions. The group kickstarted my reflection of my childhood and enabled me to examine how my values were shaped. It introduced me to emotional intelligence; something I had never heard of until then. I began to realize the affect of communication and listening, and to understand they are essential for me to succeed in my life going forward.

My dedication to personal growth, the group, and giving 100% effort didn’t go unnoticed. When KidCat’s First Step started after the Covid pandemic, I was offered a chance to participate in the cohort. The curriculum offered me an opportunity to connect my adult self with my child self. It has helped me tremendously on my journey of self discovery and has given me a better understanding of myself.

KidCat First Step consists of eight modules that explore connection to childhood. It dives into emotions, sensations, and the ways they affected my choices and actions. We look into self identity and the dynamics of multiple identities. We learn about masculinity and where our beliefs about it originated. Environmental influences  and consequences are broken down and examined. We look at various communication models. We explore empathy and compassion to put these principles into practice. The final module is forgiveness. This allows us to rebuild and move on with our lives in a honest way. It says we will learn to grow and heal from our experiences.

Today I’m part of my third cohort of KidCat First Step. I’m honored to have been trusted with giving back by helping others and facilitating. It is an awesome feeling to contribute to the community that gives so much to me. I am truly grateful to everyone at KidCat for the countless doors it has opened and continue to open in my life.