Meet Robert Ortiz Archila

We recently connected with Robert Ortiz Archila and have shared our conversation below.

Robert, we’re thrilled to have you sharing your thoughts and lessons with our community. So, for folks who are at a stage in their life or career where they are trying to be more resilient, can you share where you get your resilience from?

My resiliency comes directly from my lived experience. After serving in the US Army as a paratrooper with the 82nd Airborne Division, I came home and failed to adjust back to civilian life. After years of a heavy drug and alcohol addiction which led me to incarceration, I was able to use my resiliency to tap into the restorative power of education. My resiliency is rooted in community service.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?

I identify as a Formerly Incarcerated Person, first generation college student, recovering drug and alcohol addict, and a public servant. After serving in the US Army as a paratrooper with the 82nd Airborne Division, I came home and failed to adjust back to civilian life. After years of a heavy drug and alcohol addiction which led me to incarceration, I was able to use my resiliency to engage in higher education. In other words, I used the same commitment and energy to pursue my addiction and use that energy in the classroom. This new journey has earned me an Associate of Science Degree in Aeronautics, Bachelor Degree in Liberal Studies from California State University Fullerton, Master of Science in Higher Education Counseling, and currently I am a 2nd year Doctoral student at University of La Verne. My professional roles include teaching inside the California State Prison system and Orange County Juvenile Probation. I have served as the Outreach Coordinator and Senior Program Advisor for Project Rebound, California State University system and have served as an Adjunct Counselor at North Orange County Community College District. Currently I am a Academic Counselor and Professor of Aeronautics in my community. I currently live with my wife Gabby and my children Jay, Havanna, and Carbine.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

Life is tough for most of our community, however, the biggest factor that has transformed my life is higher education. I encourage everyone to tap into the restorative power of education. In addition, I encourage folks to focus on their qualities and skills instead focussing on what they feel are their deficiencies. Lastly, a strong recommendation is to embrace their identities and use their identities to inspire others.

What has been your biggest area of growth or improvement in the past 12 months?

In the past 12 months my biggest challenge has been to deal with my Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) caused from 12 years of military service, 3 deployments to Iraq & Afghanistan, and my incarceration experience. I have connected with the Veterans Affairs and I am currently working on overcoming my PTSD. I share this because from the outside people might see me as a successful formerly incarcerated doctoral student. However, trauma is real and many members of the community suffer because their trauma never go addressed. I have come to realize that despite my current success, my PTSD is still present.

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