Isaac Fuentes has come a long way from his days as a drug dealer on the streets of Waco. Now, instead of selling drugs, Isaac is helping others to overcome their addictions while working at the Cenikor Foundation and is attending college in the hopes of pursuing a career in the drug rehabilitation field.
This journey to a successful recovery and reintegration has been arduous and filled with setbacks, but Isaac remains determined to reach his goals. When asked about his progress, Isaac states “the person who you see in front of you today is not the same person I was three years ago.”
Backstory
Isaac grew up in Waco, Texas and had a very similar childhood to many other Wacoans. When he was 13 years old, the main thing on his mind was baseball, but after falling in with a new group of friends at school, he was introduced to marijuana. Within the next year he had tried cocaine and his new friends had recruited him to help them sell drugs.
The allure of money and the lifestyle that came with selling drugs was just as addicting as the drugs themselves and the next 10 years saw Isaac become further entrenched in this life of crime. Isaac was first arrested when he was 24 years old and he was sentenced to State Jail for possession of a controlled substance.
Upon his release, Isaac attempted to lead a clean and honest life and started working at a local footwear company. He rose through the ranks and became a manager, but when the footwear company closed their store, he was out of a job. With 5 daughters to support, Isaac fell back on what he knew and was soon selling drugs again to support his family.
Isaac continued with this lifestyle and was arrested again for possession in 2010. He was put on probation, but continued to sell drugs to support himself and his family. It was around this time when Isaac first started to reevaluate his actions. Isaac’s associates were starting to be arrested and placed in jail and he saw that his actions had consequences, not only for himself, but also for the families of the people he cared about. “I realized that my actions were destroying the lives of the people around me.” said Isaac.
Isaac understood that it was only a matter of time before he was also caught. Despite this apprehension, Isaac continued his activity and was arrested for violating his parole and for a drug related charge in Waxahachie, Texas. Isaac expected to be thrown in jail, but the District Attorney took leniency and Isaac was given another chance to turn his life around through a drug rehabilitation program at the Cenikor Foundation.
Pictured: Isaac Fuentes
Recovery
While enrolled in Cenikor’s recovery program, Isaac has successfully completed the 2-year course in 16 months and has recently signed up for an additional year on his own free will. While enrolled in the program, Isaac has helped others who were suffering from addiction by serving as an orientation supervisor and now achieves that goal by working as an Intern.
A typical day for Isaac at Cenikor lasts nearly 18 hours. He wakes up at 6 am and then works for 8 hours before going to assist with group meetings and shutting down the floor at 9 pm. He enjoys 1 hour of recreational time before lights out at 10:30 pm and he then wakes up to the same routine the next day. Despite this rigorous schedule, Isaac takes college courses, remains active in his church, and regularly volunteers with the Reintegration Roundtable to help other ex-offenders in McLennan County.
Isaac credits Cenikor with teaching him many lessons that have helped to turn his life around. He states, “What I learned in that program made me who I am today. It showed me how to be a part of a community, build friendships, and help people.” The principles of hard work, taking responsibility, and being part of a community were also essential lessons and are something that Isaac says he had never grasped before participating in the program and working at the facility.
Isaac has graduated from his 2-year program and is now in his 10th month of his 1-year internship. Isaac hopes to continue to work with Cenikor to help others in our community fight their battle against addiction, but he remains positive that he will be able to keep his own life on track and help make the community better no matter where he ends up. Isaac maintains that, “I know I’m prepared to be a good worker, a good leader, and a productive citizen in my community.”