Arturo

Arturo Garcia, 24, understands struggle, and is using it to help change lives. Arturo currently works as a Residential Tech at 3D Teen Recovery, a non-profit residential treatment program for teenage boys struggling with drug and alcohol addiction. He spends his days investing in the lives of struggling young men, hoping to make an impact.

“Ever since I was younger, I knew I wanted to work with teenagers,” said Arturo. “I’m currently getting certified to become an addiction counselor. This has been my dream job. I am called to be here.”

Ten years earlier, Arturo’s life looked much different.

“I lost my father suddenly when I was very young,” said Arturo, looking back. “It affected my mom and my older siblings, but especially me. There was a lot of fear in our family. I started to suppress everything, my emotions and feelings. I isolated myself from family and slowly started staying away from home because I didn’t want to be there.”

Arturo leaving home started innocently, spending time with friends and playing childhood games. Over time, he started hanging out with the wrong crowd and making poor decisions, leading him to being put on probation at the young age of 13.

Soon after, Arturo found himself at Eagle Ranch. While at Eagle Ranch, Arturo learned about the importance of communication and expressing his feelings to others. He also learned about loving others, but especially how to love himself. Most importantly, he learned about Jesus Christ.

“I was raised in a religious home, but I never really connected with God. The Houseparents and teachers showed me a type of love no one else had showed me before,” said Arturo.

“This changed my heart and made me into a more loving person. It wasn’t until I came to Eagle Ranch that I finally understood, where I found out about Christ and began a relationship with Him.”

While the Ranch benefited him at the time, Arturo experienced later struggles that he worked to overcome. Fortunately, the lessons he learned at Eagle Ranch never left him and continue to help him in his career today.

Arturo is now married, has two beautiful daughters, and spends his time investing in the next generation of young men.

Arturo’s life experience has given him a platform to help other young men learn to love themselves and love others.

“When I look back to my teen years, Eagle Ranch was the best thing that ever happened to me. Everything I learned there may not have come into play in my life immediately, but now it affects all aspects of my life.”