photo Katelynn Seetaram

“I’m a senior now, following a passion with the admiration and support of my family, and most importantly, a father figure who can guide me in the right direction even when going through the toughest times in my life.”

By Jorllie Guerra

When I met my stepfather, I was 9 and he was just another man my mother was in a relationship with. At first, I had no respect or understanding of his role. I didn’t bother building a relationship with him because I had lost faith and trust in men who came before him. As time passed, we built respect for each other. I was ignorant about who he was and what he did. Over time, I began to think more about my future and what I should do to see success in my life.

The summer before my senior year, my stepfather encouraged me to work. It seemed hard to get a job, but things changed when my stepfather recommended me for a position next door. My first job was at an old building where I used to live, which was also the building that my stepfather managed. Working as a temp for the summer, I started to fall in love with the technical workings of the building and how everything fell into place, even though I was only a porter. Throughout the summer, I was active and living by my father’s advice to stay busy. His way of life has always been to achieve his goals under any circumstances. He says it’s a way I should live because it would give me purpose.

Despite my stepfather’s reluctance to share the specifics of his work, I often wondered about these places and rooms that would be eerie. The rooms contained pipes, pumps, wires and switches leading to the apartments above with pumps connected to the sewage system. The air carried the metallic scent of machinery, reminding me of a heart in a body. Except in this case, instead of a body, it was a building. Right next to the heart of the building is my stepfather’s office. His office is like the brain of the building, where you can see every piece of machinery in each room.

My stepfather is the building manager, the brain of the building. My admiration for the building has grown over the years. It has sparked the idea of pursuing a similar passion and finally finding something to be passionate about. My future career finally started to take shape. This stopped my family from telling me to pursue other passions like art or music. I found a path that I’m truly passionate about.

I’ve always felt belittled by other kids or people who are better at what I do, which killed my drive to do those things. My stepfather was a breathing motor for motivation. He helped shape how I go about things, pushing me to do better because the world will always keep spinning even though I stop. Life is always different, and everyone starts differently.

I was a prime example of this. Growing up without a present and a normal father figure was difficult. Watching my mother struggle to pay the bills and dealing with a lunatic without any help was rough. My mother needed time, and her alternative was to put me in an after-school program. Unfortunately, I wasn’t a fan of this decision, but it allowed her to work longer hours. I thought I would never get through life, but I did.

I’m a senior now, following a passion with the admiration and support of my family, and most importantly, a father figure who can guide me in the right direction even when going through the toughest times in my life.

Jorllie Guerra is attending City Tech in the Fall 2025 to pursue Construction Management and Technology.