Rising up

For my JMC 410 class we were assigned to find write a profile on someone in our beat. My initial thinking was to cover a police officer who worked on campus and get their insight on crime in Greeley, but a chance meeting with Anthony Gonzalas changed all of that. Many could say Gonzalas’s story is nothing special. He was a kid who grew up in a not so great area, made some not so great choices and ended up in a not so great situation. What makes Gonzalas different and his story inspiring to those around him, is what he did after he ended up in such a bad place. Gonazalas is a former gang member who decided to get out of a gang and pursue a different path. His situation is one unfortunately many young teens growing up in Greeley find them selves in. Gang violence is a problem the community of Greeley faces today. But with great effort from the Greeley Police Department and Mayor Ed Clark, the city of Greeley is becoming safer for everyone. Still, young people are faced with peer pressure to join a gang and Gonzalas has taken a step further in trying to combat this issue by volunteering his time at the Boys and Girls Club in Greeley. Gonzalas’s story was truly inspiring, but at the same time frightening to hear. It’s always good to hear someone who has risen from a bleak situation, but Gonzalas’s story reminds me that gangs are still a very really issue for the Greeley community.