Skylar Economy, Executive Producer + Co-Director of F.I.T.E.

Skylar received her B.A. in Film and Media Studies at UC Berkeley in May of 2016. As a student at UC Berkeley, she served as Co-Executive Director of CalTV, Cal’s premiere student-run TV channel; and as a founder and leader of several film and media organizations at UC Berkeley. As an intern at CNN for two undergrad summers, Skylar worked on over 20 documentaries that have aired. She also served as a film program coordinator and mentor to high school students in Bosnia for the Mediterranean Film Festival, and taught photography to young women in Syrian refugee camps in Jordan. Skylar started working with formerly incarcerated students in April 2015, and produced and directed a short documentary, Free Scholars (June 2015) that is being shown in youth detention centers and organizations across the country, to encourage incarcerated individuals to consider enrolling in college. More recently, she co-founded a film and media production company and rental service, Photogenie Films, LLC, and works with commercial and documentary clients on a variety of projects.

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Clarence Ford, Producer of f.i.t.e.

Clarence has been involved with the criminal justice system since the age of 16, with his most recent sentence being three years in state prison. After release, he re-entered community college and became a community organizer and policy advocate for criminal justice reform in Richmond, CA. Having just earned his BA at UC Berkeley in American Studies with a minor in Public Policy, Clarence will be starting his graduate studies this Fall at Berkeley's Goldman School of Public Policy - the #1 Public Policy program in the country. His plan is to earn a joint MPP/JD degree as well as to continue to work on policy issues that impede communities similar to his.

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Shalita Williams, dOCUMENTARY PARTICIPANT 

Williams’ story is that of the second generation of the devastating crack epidemic that tore through Oakland and other cities in the ‘80s. Before, her family lived in comfortable accommodations in East Oakland. Her father was a welder. “We had nice stuff,” she recalled. “But the crack epidemic tore my family apart.” Both parents became addicted; her mother sold drugs. Her uncle’s wife was murdered, execution style, because she had stolen drugs. At home, Williams said she was verbally and physically abused by her parents. She got pregnant at 15.

 

She had started on an odyssey of petty theft, selling drugs, being in relationships with abusive men and addiction.

 

She was arrested when she was four months pregnant. She realized she wanted to stop selling drugs and make a better life for herself and her children. Her sentence was reduced after she agreed to participate in a drug rehabilitation program. But that was after Williams had her baby in jail, shackled to the delivery table. She said she still feels the tremendous humiliation of that experience.

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Shalita shares, "Filming my educational experience is a way of giving hope to those who are formerly incarcerated like me. Education in itself is extremely empowering but this film just amplified this empowerment, by illustrating that dreams of impossibilities can be attained. Whenever we screen the movie inside of jails I noticed how we inspire inmates to believe in themselves. I am empowered to see others build off my strength, and this is such a wonderful feeling."

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Robert Smith, Director of Center for Employment Opportunities 

Robert Smith is a highly motivated, creative problem solver who enjoys providing leadership and guidance to team projects for the betterment of clients the Center for Employment Opportunities (CEO) serves. Since 2000, Mr. Smith has served in workforce development primarily focused on those reentering society.

Growing up in violent family conditions with a substance-addicted parent, Mr. Smith became a troubled youth, with time spent in juvenile detention, county jail, and state prison. In prison, he began assisting inmates as a way to begin thinking about what life was going to look like beyond prison. Noticing the constant flow of returning people, Mr. Smith truly worried if there was any hope for success, or whether he would be just another statistic.

Today, Mr. Smith serves individuals in and out of the criminal justice system, helping to reclaim a full life of self-respect and dignity. He is currently the San Diego Director for CEO, one of 19 CEO offices nationwide. He enjoys teaching and interacting with each and every class, offering his story of uncertainty and triumph. He has worked across the United States and in the United Kingdom, wearing many hats – he started in his first nonprofit position as a volunteer janitor in STRIVE's job readiness program, to serving as an executive director.

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joe TAPIA, Rise Up member

Joe recently graduated from Rise up Industries as a machine operator, after serving 32 years of a life sentence. He is an artist, and a practicing Buddhist. He is very involved with helping troubled youth, and has spoken to several different groups of kids including those at East Mesa Juvenile Hall. Joe shares, “I’m very grateful for the opportunity to be a part of the Rise Up family. I’m humbled by the fact that so many people are making investments on my behalf and that these same people are investing their vision of a better world in all of us. They motivate me to be not just a machinist, but the best machinist I can be.” Joe is also a co-author of the book, Writing After Life.

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lUIS rUAN, aUTHOR, pRESENTER, fiLMMAKER

Luis Ruan was born and raised in National City, California. He studied Criminal Justice, at California State University Long Beach. He worked for the Orange County Probation Department as a Deputy Probation Counselor inside Juvenile Correction facilities. For over ten years, where he supervised incarcerated youth. He developed and implemented numerous programs to work with gang involved minors. Luis provided motivation, awareness and resources to help youth transition out to the community.

 

In 1990, Luis Ruan founded and became Executive Director of the Beyond Limits Program, a non-profit agency that works with inner city youth to promote cultural awareness, cultural pride, self-esteem and a positive future. The program continues today to serve the needs of high-risk youth.

 

Since the late 90’s, Luis has concentrated his efforts on Native and Indigenous cultures to work and create programs for youth involved in gangs or at high-risk of becoming involved in gangs. He has worked with youth and parents to educate them on the negative consequences of gang involvement and the importance of planning a better future. Luis has trained communities, educators, law enforcement, counselors and others to work with gang-involved youth in their communities. Luis has traveled from coast to coast, as well as parts of Canada, as a consultant. His book, Journey to the Mountain Within, captures Luis Ruan’s experience and philosophy.

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Norma mena cazares, community activist/retired college counselor

Norma Cazares is a first generation San Diego native, raised in Logan Heights and Southeast San Diego. With her grandfather’s activist blood in her veins, Norma started community organizing at 15 years of age, and has been a dedicated and passionate political, educational, and social activist ever since. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Public Administration in 1982 and later in 1988, with a Masters of Science in Counseling. Norma is a retired Southwestern College Counselor of nearly 30 years, and currently serves as Co-Chair of the Chula Vista Chief of Police Community Advisory Committee. While employed full-time and now as a retiree, Norma Cazares is dedicated to community activism and is committed to making San Diego, and the South Bay Community in particular, a better place for all people.