RISE detainees rise to the challenge

The Socorro County Commissioners recognized the inmates in the RISE welding program at their regular meeting last week.

Eddie Garcia, the Socorro County detention administrator, introduced the three welders, Ronaldo Ortega, Daniel Pacheco and Ozziel Corral, who are RISE program participants, and asked each one to give a speech.

“When I told these individuals they were selected, they were just super excited to be able to be part of the program,” Eddie Garcia said.

Pacheco, first on the podium, thanked the commissioners for the opportunity to participate in the welding program.

“The RISE program and the welding class has given me hope to better myself as a person. In life I can make my own money the right way and depend on myself. The RISE program made me realize that there are people that care,” Pacheco said. “I’ve always wanted to be a good welder but never got a chance. This has been my dream throughout my life. I thank God for the RISE program to make my hopes and dreams come true by changing my ways to a better life.”

Corral, spoke next and told commissioners that he had been in the RISE program for 10 months, and it had changed his way of thinking into a positive state of mind.

“I am looking forward to my future and actually planning for my future,” Corral said “For the first time in my life, I plan to enroll back in college at Tech and enroll in their internet cyber security program, I feel I am able to become educated. I can start manifesting all the wealth and knowledge to join the productive member of society. I would like to one day own my suit, walk into my own office, own a house, own my car and have a peace of mind knowing I am no longer in prison of my past actions.”

He said that being a RISE client has allowed to realize that he has control over the direction of his life.

“I have my right foot planted in the door, and I am more than ready to continue this opportunity to change my life and my future. I will take full advantage of these amazing opportunities that have been presented to me.” Corral said.

He said the welding program and certification have given him a sense of achievement and an employment opportunity that he is grateful for, and he thanked the commission for the opportunity.

Last to give a speech was Ortega who told the commission that he had been in and out of prison for 15 years, and it wasn’t the life he wanted or imagined he would have.

“It has been a lifelong dream of mine to be a certified welder. I learned welding at the same mag shop 39 years ago,” Ortega said.

Ortega was emotional while he recalled being a 14-year-old freshman in high school in the FFA program welding at the Socorro High School welding shop.

“I worked in the welding, automotive and construction industry all my life. Built goose trailers, hitches, bumpers, push cars, carports, stairs, headache racks and a lot of other welding jobs…so becoming a certified welder has definitely been a major goal for me and my family,” Ortega said.

He said that he has a sense of pride in being one the first to be able to do the welding program, and he hopes to get a job out at the VLA.

“I’m going to say something on behalf of all of my fellows… me and the rest of the boys here… we don’t want to mess this up for ourselves, but we also don’t want to mess this up for you all either, because you guys are taking a big chance with us trying to step up and do this,” Ortega said. “We made a commitment to ourselves. I’m speaking on behalf of the boys here. We made a commitment to say, look, we’re going to do this.”

County Manager Andy Lotrich said one of the promises he made to commissioners in his interview was that he would work across governmental lines to bring in different programs.

“Council what you have standing before you here is the first part of the dream of, how do we start building programs? How do we start instituting different types of training and technology to give people a leg up?” Lotrich said.

He said when he came on as the manager, he met the school board president David Hicks and was introduced to Kenny Gonzalez, Socorro High School CTE instructor.

“We have the opportunity right now through RISE funds. So what we were able to do is in a collaborative partnership, all of the equipment is either school district or New Mexico Tech equipment, and the RISE program paid for their tuition through New Mexico Tech.” Lotrich said.

Lotrich said he hopes the program can grow into food service, carpentry and mechanics.

“When I was in school, I saw that some of the individuals were falling through the cracks. This is an opportunity for us to make up for the fact that we failed them. As a county, the school district and families, I want to be able to say, ‘You guys are going to have the opportunities to go forward. We believe in you. You are going to do it.’” Lotrich said. “And so it’s going to be one of the things that I am going to heavily fight for while I’m here in Socorro County.”

Eddie Garcia explained that the welding class was held at Socorro High School after hours, when no high school students were present. He said the RISE participants were technically New Mexico Tech students and classes were open to other adults in the community.

County attorney Adren Nance confirmed that the county was covered in general liability under their multi-line policy.

Navigator of the RISE program Vanessa Garcia told the commission that the RISE program was founded in 2020.

“We’ve built this program, literally from the ground up.” Vanessa Garcia said “We had a lot of things they had to do before we even got the ball rolling.”

She said most individuals who come into the detention center are lost, confused and sad. There is often a stigma with individuals that are detained and are labeled as bad people.

“But when you truly get to know these individuals, and you get to see their potential every single day, it doesn’t only provide them with motivation to monitor change, it also provides us all that are involved in the program to help them better themself, right? I just want to say to all my RISE clients, you guys are rocking this.” Vanessa Garcia said.

RISE Participant Fair Entries

Art

Jennifer Lucero - portrait name Baby Cow 1st place

Daniel Pacheco - portrait name Call Him Father 2nd Place

Daniel Pacheco - portrait name Drugs Kill 3rd Place

Cailey Montano - portrait name Socorro NM 3rd place

Cailey Montano - portrait name Road Runner 1st place and honorable mention

BJ Apachito - portrait name Eagles 2nd Place

BJ Apachito - Abstract 5th place

Herman Garcia - portrait name Jack In the Box 5th Place

Prescott Apachito - portrait name NM 3D 2nd place

Prescott Apachito - portrait name water colored Deer 5th Place

Prescott Apachito - portrait name Native pottery painting 3rd Place

Salsa Contest

Cailey Montano Fruit Salsa 1st place

Amanda Gutierrez - Green Salsa 1st place & Best Overall Salsa

Nicole Gutierrez - fruit Salsa 2nd Place

Herman Garcia - Green Salsa 3rd place

Oziel Corral - Pico De Gallo 2nd place

Daniel Pacheco - Red Salsa 1st place

Reynaldo Ortega - Pico De Gallo 3rd place

Jason Greenwood - Fruit Salsa 3rd Place