Parents usually get a break from work on holidays, but Easter for M. Moreno, started at 2 o’ clock in the morning. A call that awoke her from sleep told her she needed to come into work. Though this seems out of the norm to others, these late night calls are routine. “I expected this to happen because everyone calls in sick on holidays …Only three people in each unit get the day off,” Moreno said, who works as a correctional officer at San Quentin State Prison.

    Moreno was previously a nurse without a chance to fulfill her dream in law enforcement. During high school, her step-father was framed for a crime. He was arrested and transferred to a federal prison. She and her brother dropped out of high school to help the family while taking night classes.

    This tragic time is what shaped Moreno into who she is today. The arrest affected her family, and the suffering it caused her mother made Moreno see things differently. “I told myself I never wanted to do anything stupid and break the law.”

    Moreno can recall the exact moment this tragedy influenced her the most. It was when she visited her step-father in prison. The moment consisted of an officer evaluating an inmate’s behavior. He asked her what she thought the world would be like if there wasn’t anyone willing to do the job of an officer. “Right then I knew I wanted to be doing something in law enforcement,” she said.

    This petite, 5’ 2’’ woman then decided to carry out her dream. She has spent more than a year as a correctional officer, but she never thought it would be so hard on her children, both of whom attend Stagg.

    She felt her children were old enough, but soon realized that following her dreams may have distracted them from theirs. “I think it’s made my kids worse,” Moreno said. “My son had a 4.0 before I started my job, now he has D’s and F’s.”

    Her son’s grades and rebellious habits are not the end of their problems.  “He has changed so much,” Moreno said. “Before I took the job he didn’t push the envelope as much, and he cared about me.”

    Although her dream of being an officer has been fulfilled, she still feels disheartened about the behavior of her son. “It’s sad that I’m trying to change the world, but I can’t even change my own house,” Moreno said.

    Freshman Reanna Rodriguez has a different story. She is known for her killer softball swing, extraordinary grades, and tremendous attitude, but few are aware of what keeps her working hard. For her, it’s Deuel Vocational Institute, the place both of her parents worked for more than 20 years.  Her father is a retired counselor of DVI, and her mother currently works in the institute’s mental health department. According to Rodriguez, their line of work is what keeps her in line. “They’ve become really strict,” she said.

    Although she can admit that her parents are more protective than most others, she said she doesn’t mind much. She doesn’t even mind when her parents meet friends or check up on her 4.0 average. When it comes to doing anything her parents would disapprove of, Rodriguez says that “it’s just not going to happen.”

    Rodriguez is happy with her parents just the way they are.

Since her father is retired, she gets to see him a lot more, and although her mother works, she still makes an effort to encourage Rodriguez to strive for the best. “She’s at every sports game,” Rodriguez said.

    She said she’s happy with her family life, even her mother’s frightening job.

    Whether it’s hearing stories that make her shudder, or visiting the prison herself, Rodriguez knows the kind of future that fate could have in store.