LifeSkills Miami-Dade
“LIFE, two, three, four,
SKILLS, two, three, four…”
Jose Salas knew some day he would march to the cadence of an Army drill because he decided early in life to serve his nation by joining the United States Army. It turned out to be a tough journey for Jose, but one that prepared him well for his military career. A series of unfortunate events resulted in Jose’s emancipation from his parents at age 16. Living alone, Jose had to work full time in order to support himself. Although a gifted student at Miami Senior High School, Jose was unable to attend his afternoon classes due to his work schedule and fell behind in school.
Undaunted and determined to graduate on time so that he could enter Basic Training as scheduled, Jose decided to attend the Miami-Dade LifeSkills. He credits the program at LifeSkills with providing exactly what he needed. As so many other gifted students experience, he felt held back by the pace in his traditional school. At LifeSkills, he was provided with a graduation plan that enabled him to excel. It offered the flexibility he needed to complete his education at his own pace and at times he was able to attend. Jose dedicated himself to graduation and often attended both academic sessions on his days off.
Jose graduated on time in June of 2008. He credits the teachers and staffs at the Miami-Dade LifeSkills for helping him achieve his desire to serve our Nation. Jose currently serves in the United States Army as an Imagery Analyst assigned to the Military Intelligence Corps. Jose routinely works with Army Interrogators and Intelligence Analysts to prepare combatants for missions and helps to keep the United States free and strong. Jose will be leaving for Iraq in February 2010. We know he will continue to march to the cadence he loves for some time to come.
