b'ELIAS PEREACOLLEGE READINESS ADVISORI KNEW I HAD TO DO BETTERElias Perea was born and raised in Dorchester. Growing up, Elias was in and out of theWe are humanjuvenile justice system until he was first arrested in 2001 and served two more sentences before deciding his life needed a change. Elias began working at College Bound in 2015beings and everyone as a recruiter and worked his way up to being a College Readiness Advisor, drawing onneeds a chance,his experience on the streets and in prison to guide his students to choose education andhe says. There is a better life. In 2017, Elias was hurt on the job and his years of doing positive work were tested, Getting shot was the test I never knew I needed, Perea said. I had every reasonalways a chance.to go back to that life. Elias says that being hurt on the job only strengthened his com-mitment to the work and reminded him why he started here in the first place. Going back to the streets would have meant giving up on myself. And giving up on myself would have meant giving up on the students, and I could never do that.uncornered.org@Collegebounddot Facebook.com/CollegeBoundDorchester'