From the time I was a little kid I knew what I wanted to do with my life: Get out of the inner city, go off to college, and eventually make a better life for my family and myself. I grew up in the tough city of Paterson, New Jersey. It’s easy for a kid to be led down the wrong path in a place like that, where gangs run rampant, crime is a way of life, and illegal activity, like selling drugs, is so tempting because it’s more lucrative than the menial jobs there. I played sports to stay out of trouble. Baseball was my favorite sport and I was really good at it. I was also blessed with a supportive family that told me I could do anything and be anyone I sought to be.