Julius Johnson has a history of ups and downs when it comes to making choices in his life. While in high school in Lexington, he almost hit rock bottom academically and questioned whether graduating was important. He was known for fighting and trying to part of a group that regularly faced suspension. But after two of his friends died, Julius knew he needed to decide whether or not he wanted a future. He enrolled in an newly developed drop out program that utilized correspondence courses and allowed him to work at his own pace and develop his learning abilities. He learned how to focus and to work diligently to successfully graduate from high school. But after a while, Julius settled back into a lifestyle that increasingly lead to drug use and short term jobs, incarcerations, and difficulties with relationships with his family and friends. In time, he was sent to prison in West Virginia. While in prison, he realized he needed to decide what was important and to make a plan to change his old ways. Julius will tell you that the strongest influence behind this effort was that he left behind his two year old son and that weighed on him immensely. He knew he had to change in order to be able to be a father to his son. While in prison, he took part in programs that helped him develop his life skills, including parenting skills he would be able to use when he was reunited with his son. Julius came to OWL in April of 2009 after he returned to Lexington. He was referred to OWL by the KY Office of Vocational Rehabilitation and started working as a Transitional Employee in Lexington Manufacturing Company (LMC). He had decided that in order to do well at work, he would need to be at work everyday and to do his best at each task he was was assigned. He made sure he has positive role models in his life and admits that his godfather and his parole officer have been instrumental in providing support he needs to stay focused on his goals of being a good father and positive member in the community. Julius has continued to work daily on these goals. As a result, he was hired as a Quality Control Technician at LMC in September 2009. He has become active with community programs that work with youth because he wants to help others avoid the bad choices he made in the past. Julius knows that he needs to continue self assessing himself and keep positive mentors in his life. And he also knows that being a good father and good employee are choices that are in his control now.