Justice Castañeda and Ben LeRoy
Recorded
August 26, 2020
44:31 minutes
0:00 / 0:00
Id:
ddv000140
Description
Long time friends, Justice Castañeda (40) and Ben LeRoy (44), talk about how they met, highlighting Justice's journey from troubled youth, to United States Marine, to being named the Executive Director of Common Wealth Development.Subject Log / Time Code
Justice Castañeda (40) talks about being born in Madison, Wisconsin, to young parents. He says he lived in low income housing and shelters with his mother and then with his father, moving out on his own by age 13.
Justice talks about becoming involved with a teen council of slightly older students, of which Ben LeRoy (44) was a part. Justice says these kids were politically engaged, putting on skits and presentations for other schools.
Justice says the skits evolved to be produced for public access television.
Justice talks about being charged with felony physical abuse to a minor resulting from a school fight when he was 18. He says he feels very lucky that the charges were dropped.
Justice talks about children and anger. He says he was able to see a specialist who taught him about controlling his body through breathing.
Justice talks about joining the Marine Corps as a September Recruit. He says he barely made it in.
Justice talks about being deployed to Iraq. He calls himself the Marine's version of Radar from the television show MASH.
Justice talks about transitioning out the military and into education. He talks about how he made use of the GI Bill.
Ben says Justice is now the Executive Director of Common Wealth Development.
Justice says he is not a good person, that he has messed up and let himself down numerous times. He says he went home to live and work in Madison, Wisconsin, in order to return the investment that was made in him.
Participants
- Justice Castañeda
- Ben LeRoy