This episode: From Struggle to Success: Schwartzen's Journey of Redemption and Giving Back.
Here’s what you’ll learn about:
Overcoming adversity and giving back. (0:00)
- Schwartzen Precil shares his personal story of overcoming adversity and giving back to help youth turn their lives around.
Childhood trauma and identity issues. (2:21)
- Schwartzen reflects on his childhood in foster care, including early identity issues and affiliation with gangs.
- At 14 years old, he experienced a traumatic and dramatic time in his life, including getting into fights and feeling disconnected from his guardians.
Family dynamics and personal struggles. (4:59)
- Schwartzen recounts his experiences with a controlling and dominant foster care father, including being forced to run away from home at 14 years old.
Teenage boy's legal issues and mental health evaluation. (6:30)
- As a 14-year-old boy, Schwartzen faced court charges for trespassing, had struggles with ADHD diagnosis and feeling worthless.
Juvenile justice system and personal growth. (8:20)
- Schwartzen reflects on his experience in the foster care system and how it has shaped his life, including his resentment towards his guardian, and foster care father.
- The speaker describes how his guardian surprised him by showing compassion in a courtroom moment, which led to a turning point in Schwartzen’s life and a desire to change his path.
Personal growth and grace of God. (11:06)
- Schwartzen reflects on his childhood, mentioning a brother who went down a similar path and ended up in prison, and a foster father who fell ill and had to go to the hospital for treatment.
- Schwartzen describes his daily routine as a teenager, including attending school and basketball practice, and being chaperoned by a foster sibling due to his curfew.
High school experiences, identity formation, and sports. (13:28)
- As a 16-year-old, Schwartzen begins to form identity as creator through dancing and basketball, despite challenges from peers and girls.
Mental health, addiction, and faith. (15:10)
- Schwartzen struggles with mental health and performance in college due to partying and substance use.
- He describes experiencing suicidal thoughts and feelings of isolation, with no one to turn to for support.
- Schwartzen recounts a specific incident