We are more than the worst things we have ever done

by Federico Luis Cruz
(Sparta, MI, 49345 USA)

I earned my CDL A license this past December, seeking to expand my resume and jumpstart a career as a truck driver. I am 46 years old, just returned home after serving 29 years for a murder I committed when I was sixteen. I have made my life's aim to seek out ways in which I might add value to this world in an effort to rectify the harm I caused as a troubled and angry youth. I know I could never fully atone for the hole I left in people's lives, but I am making the effort to live in a way that affirms human dignity and nurtures communal harmony. I see truck driving as a means towards that end, as most truckers know, it can be a fairly lucrative career. However, I have found that I am barred from driving due to my lack of experience and the carriers that I have found that do actually hire new CDL graduates wouldn't bring me on due to the murder conviction on my record. While I could lie about it, I choose to be transparent and hold my integrity, besides I know that anyone can simply run a google search and know everything about a person if they choose. So, I have concluded that the best thing to do is to keep on trucking towards my aspirations of being a truck driver. I am also a certified diesel technician in the State of Michigan, earned a BA in Faith and Community Leadership while incarcerated through Calvin University's Calvin Prison Initiative, and hold certification in Alternative Dispute Resolution. I am simply looking for a path into my truck driving career. I am certain that once there, I will do my best to add value to the company.