SPEAKER_03 0:00

I believe the story of Woodburn is a story America needs right now. We don't ask what side of the eye you're on. We're asked if you've eaten, if you've had food. We take care of each other. And like I said, you know, the American dream, it's not dying, it's not fading. It's waiting for us to step up to it. And Woodburn, I know we will. Because if there's one thing that I know is that your voice matters, your presence matters, your courage matters. Yeah, don't let anybody tell you you don't belong. Because you absolutely do. You know, your parents, you know, they didn't sacrifice a lot for you to, you know, have your head down. Um, you know, right now Woodburn has yeah, has a choice to shrink in fear or to stand up to what's going on. And I believe that Woodburn is gonna stand up to what's going on because we're fighters, and I'm proud to be from Woodburn.

SPEAKER_00 0:47

Hey there, and welcome to the Woodburn Podcast, where we believe every story matters, and every neighbor has something worth sharing. Um, your host, Gilbert Lopez. I'll be sitting down with local business owners, community leaders, and hometown heroes right here in Woodburn. You'll discover amazing people in your own backyard. And if you're more connected to the community we call home, make sure to follow us on Instagram and YouTube at Woodburn Podcast to be the first to know about new episodes and announcements.

SPEAKER_01 1:23

Alright, welcome to another episode of the Woodburn Podcast. And I have a very special guest in the house today, and um I'm going to allow him to introduce himself.

SPEAKER_03 1:32

Thank you. Super excited to be here. Uh Michael Vasquez, he him and pronouns. Uh and yeah, today I'm here as a 20-plus year community member of Woodburn. Um, you know, someone who cares deeply about this community and today's views are my own. And even though I am on the school board, today I am uh here as a community member. Thank you for having me.

SPEAKER_01 1:52

Awesome. Thank you for stopping by. And um yeah, you're Woodburn native, so let's take it from the top. Like tell me about growing up in Woodburn. How was that like?

SPEAKER_03 2:01

Absolutely, absolutely. Well, I'm the the Proud Sun of Farm Workers. I Oregon born and raised, and yeah, I grew up here in Woodburn, but I like to begin with um the Proud Sun of Farm Workers because that's really where my story begins. Before politics, before I knew what left, right, or center meant, I knew family. And I knew to wake up before the sun was up and to pack two socks because one of my boots had a hole in it. And when you're moving irrigation pipes, uh it can be very cold and very muddy. And so you don't want that. And sometimes you have to choose between buying a new pair of boots or saving for something more important that may come down the pathland, right? And so yeah, I grew up here in Woodburn, and this is where where my roots are.

SPEAKER_01 2:42

How was your experience like in the moment? Like you thought it was normal.

SPEAKER_03 2:47

Yeah, you know, it's it's all I knew, right? Yeah, like what is normal, right? When when all you see is that, you know, is you know, my parents are farm workers, my you know, classmates, teammates, they had parents that were farm workers. It was very rare that you know one of them would be a doctor or you know, an astronaut, right? Like in some other places, but that that just meant that we knew how to do hard work, yeah, and the grit and the determination that you know later on with when wrestling came in, um, it really sharpened that mindset.

SPEAKER_01 3:17

So okay. So yeah, so uh we were able to connect because of wrestling. Yes. Um tell me how did you get into wrestling? Like what what made you wrestle?

SPEAKER_03 3:29

Yeah, well, it's quite a story, right? And so I wanna take it back a little bit before wrestling.

SPEAKER_04 3:35

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 3:35

And so it's it's a two-part. One, it was where I was working in the fields actually. And so there's a story about, you know, my mom and I were picking berries and we were ending the day. And next to us, there was an older individual who he was not gonna finish in time. And so, you know, something inside of me said, Hey, go help him. It's it's the way you were raised. And so I did, and so I got to know this individual, and he told me all about his story, how he had spent his entire life here, how he didn't have a single family member here, and how he was really looking forward to you know going back home, um, seeing his family, seeing his kids. And, you know, at the end, when we finished up, uh, you know, I wished him goodbye and we went our ways. Um the following week I find out he's dead. He passed away from a cold. And while I didn't know him much, um, or long, I should say, I saw my parents' story and his story. And I knew that if I wanted a different ending, I had a outwork circumstance and I had to work hard. And so a couple years later, that's when wrestling entered my life, and that sport shaped me the discipline, the grit, the mentality to cut 12 pounds in 24 hours. It seems impossible. And ready to, you know, step on the mat, ready to go to war and then win the championship. Like that's you know, that's that's that's that mindset that not a lot of people understand. Uh, and when you're in that treadmill and you're on pound seven, knowing that you have a couple more pounds to go and your body's screaming at you, and you're saying, like, is it even worth it? Um, and that actually leads me to the next point, right? Of why I did wrestling. And so wrestling gave me a sense of direction, right? And so my father he gave me two options. He said, son, you go to the Marines or you go to the or you go to college.

SPEAKER_01 5:21

Yeah. Well, okay.

SPEAKER_03 5:22

Yeah. So taking on debt was never really an option for me. And I knew that I that I didn't want to take on debt.

SPEAKER_01 5:28

Right.

SPEAKER_03 5:28

And so I I got to work, you know, wrestling, that that's when it really took me a whole different direction from waking up at 4 a.m. when it was just cold, you know, sometimes it was that that rain, and you heard it, and you you hear that little voice in your head saying, Oh, it's okay if you miss one day. Right. I just go to sleep. It's okay, no one would know. But I knew that my opponent was working at 4 a.m. and he was ready for that championship. And my mission was to win a state championship, earn a scholarship, and go to college without taking on debt. So I had a deeper calling beyond just winning, is that I needed to win a state championship because, in my eyes, that's the only way that I could afford college. Okay. Um, while I didn't end up winning state, I did become a state player. And uh yeah, that's you know, that's really where a lot of my hard work and ethic really comes from is that that mentality.

SPEAKER_01 6:18

I found a picture of you online I want to show people. I really like this picture of you right here. Yeah. Look.

SPEAKER_03 6:27

So this picture, the story behind this picture, I don't know if you guys can see it really really well, but I have a swollen lip, my forehead, it looks like I have two horns growing out of my forehead. And the individual next to me, um, nobody else is smiling on the podium. I'm the only one who's smiling with a big smile. Because win or lose, I knew that the hard work, every single moment from those 4 a.m. you know, runs to you know, cutting those 12 pounds 24 hours, um, it paid off, right? My parents' sacrifice paid off. Um, you know, those late nights where I was struggling and you know, those Thanksgiving, where you know, we just had Thanksgiving and people are eating, you know, and I have to lock myself in my room and the celery. Yeah, I missed out on a lot of holidays for a couple of years, but uh I think it was worth it at the end of the journey because it really cemented the discipline and the mentality that you know, after this, I can do anything. You know, there's there's a famous saying in wrestling once you wrestle, everything else in life is easy. Dang, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 7:25

Um, let's let's go back and talk about when you're standing at the podium. Um how'd you feel just standing there in front of everybody? This is at the Memorial Coliseum, right?

SPEAKER_03 7:38

Yeah, so you, you know, in there's times, right? So public speaking, it's it's it's kind of scary, right? And so I remember walking into the Coliseum, you know, you walk in, you see the bright lights, you see the stadium, you know, filled with people, they're roaring, you know, the emotions are running high. You see kids running off the mat, they lost, they're crying. Yeah, you have kids super excited, they're on their way to win their second state championship. But for me, it was a moment of you know, when the blood round came around, where you know, when it was the match that you need to win to be a state placer, whether you win or lose after that, right? That's that's really the match that mattered because the person who I was wrestling was uh a guy from Dallas, the Dallas Dragons. And so he was uh, you know, he was drinked high, he had beaten me the you know a couple times before or twice, actually. Oh and so I wasn't expected to make it past the blood iron and become a state placer. And uh he knew it, his coaches knew it, and so we were there, but I said, no, we're wrestling every single second to the very last second, and so we did, and I beat the kid, and he walked off, and you know, we hug because that's at the end of the day, you you know, it's sportsmanship, you know. We we both want the same ending, but you know, you you walk in there with a lot of respect and you work out with even more, right?

SPEAKER_01 8:48

So that's what I love about wrestler, a lot of respect. You have to shake hands before and after the match.

SPEAKER_03 8:54

Absolutely, and you know that that same lesson carries with has I've carried it with me uh my entire life. And it's something that, you know, when it comes to politics, um it's something I carry where you know you and I can have a disagreement. Uh, you know, we'll sit down over a cup of coffee, and at the end we'll stand up, shake hands, and we'll walk our own ways. And you know, next week we'll run into each other at Luis's taquerilla or the grocery store, and we'll say round two, this time maybe we're some tacos and a beer, and then you start developing that that relationship, right? Even with people who may not share the same viewpoints as you, right? But every step, you know, matters. And I learned that all from wrestling.

SPEAKER_01 9:28

Yeah, shout out to Luis's taquería.

SPEAKER_03 9:30

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_01 9:30

Yeah. Um so after high school, what do you end up doing?

SPEAKER_03 9:36

Yeah, so you know, after high school, that's when I went to the University of Oregon for four years. Um, you know, I studied political science with a double minor in planning public policy and management and Spanish. And so my goal after you know high school and after getting into college was to head off to the Air Force.

SPEAKER_01 9:53

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 9:53

And, you know, I was pursuing the officer route to get back to the country that gave my family so much. Uh, but life has a funny way of working out. And I graduated in 2020, which we all know was a pretty big year. Yeah. Um, and so that didn't quite work out. But I said, you know what, the military will still be there. My community needs me right now, and I saw a bigger need. And so, yeah, I came home and I got involved in committees, uh, different advocacy groups, boards. And so, you know, little by little it started to you know make an impact. And that taught me that you don't you don't need wealth, you don't need connections, you just need that that desire to to help people, right? Yeah, and so that that gave me my start. And you know, I worked on federal politics, uh fighting for farm worker rights. I traveled to DC, um all over the country, and then after that, I got the opportunity to work in the state legislature where I saw up close what it means to govern responsively and what not governing responsively looks like, and there's a lot happening at the moment. Uh, but yeah, that's a little bit more about my my upbringing and where we are right now.

SPEAKER_01 10:55

All right, so let's talk more about that journey. Um, how was it like you know being in DC, a kid from Woodburn, just making it to the Capitol? Like, how was that experience?

SPEAKER_03 11:06

You know, the first couple of times it was similar to when you're walking in into the Coliseum. Okay. It's just like bright lights, you see this, you see everything you see on the news, on the movies, the history, right? Yeah, and uh at the time, you know, I was fresh out of college, not married, no kids, no dog. I currently have a dog, he's he's my son. Um, but yeah, it was, you know, I had the the free will, if you will. Um, and so I go there and you know, I'm there fighting for farm worker rights, all you know, immigration rights, um, a lot of different things. And uh, you know, you're happy, you're excited to talk to these senators, to these congresspeople. But then you start to realize why they call it the swamp. You start to see kind of that they give you the runaround. You know, there's a little saying that I used to say that, you know, I heard while I was in the movement that it was like they were giving you a tole con el dedo, right? Oh man, like they weren't really giving you the full truth, right? And so a lot of people become disillusioned, um, you know, and I didn't quite see the impact that I wanted to see. Okay. And so that's kind of what led to my decision and to moving towards state politics and seeing more of a direct impact into what we're living day to day. And you know, our communities are suffering, and you know, a lot of the money that goes out um doesn't necessarily hit wood run like it should. And so that's that's where I have an issue, is where you know, we have hardworking individuals here who, you know, work more than two jobs, you know, they're single-parent households, and yet they're struggling to put a roof over their kids' you know, heads and uh, you know, feed them. And I don't think that's that's acceptable in in this country.

SPEAKER_04 12:35

Right, right.

SPEAKER_01 12:36

And I know you talked about it when we had coffee, but um talking about the airports, like you were ready to go, and then you're like, My community needs me. In order for me to serve a country, I'd rather serve my community first. And you came back home. You you could have worked anywhere, but you decided to come back to Woodburn for a reason.

SPEAKER_03 12:55

Absolutely, and it was a a leap of faith, if you will, you know, faith in the community that brought me up, you know, not only the the wrestling program, but the community, the neighbors who, you know, sometimes I was hungry and they could see it, right? And they would give me a taco. Um I owe a lot to this community. My parents, you know, they made their home here, and I knew that, you know, yeah, I could go off, you know, make a lot of money, go off to New York, do something else. But no, my calling was here in Woodburn because that's the way I was raised. And at the end of the day, I didn't feel comfortable knowing that my parents were here um, you know, in this, you know, struggling to make ends meet. Um, that didn't sit well with me. And I also saw a greater need with with other individuals, and I said, you know what, let me let me make my my impact here. And so that's that's what led me here home. And I'm a proud homeowner here, and uh it's gonna be home for for a while.

SPEAKER_01 13:43

That's impressive. Like to do at such a young age. That's um bro, I'm proud of you. I just met you, but I'm like very proud of you.

SPEAKER_03 13:52

Yeah, well, I stand on the shoulder of everybody who who believed in me, right? And who saw the potential in me. And uh while there were times that I didn't have people guiding me, there were always times that were people that people were encouraging me. Yeah, and so a lot of those individuals were from Woodburn, right? Because when you go to the University of Oregon, uh you're not gonna bump into a lot of people that are from a place like Woodburn. Yeah, um, all they really know is the LMO, if that, right? And so no, Woodburn, Woodburn is home to a lot of you know great traditions, uh, you know, and I'm proud to be a part of this place where with the beautiful traditions.

SPEAKER_01 14:25

Yeah. So can you talk about some of the mentors that made an impact in your life?

SPEAKER_03 14:30

Absolutely. Well, you know, it's funny you say that because after high school, you know, going into college, I said, you know, I know that I kind of have an idea of what I want to study and what the impact that I want to have on the world. And I said, How do I do it? Right. Uh, my parents, they only know so much, you know, and so they weren't gonna help me make that that leap, right? They they only know so much. And so who do I go to? So I said, I have teachers, you know, maybe they can point me the right direction. Right. And so I just started sending emails and I said, Hey, you know, ex, you know, teachers, principals, um, this is what I want to, you know, pursue. Can we sit down for coffee? And so, you know, the first year, that that first summer before, you know, I became an undergrad and that, you know, my first year in college, I was having coffees monthly, two coffees, three coffees, just multiple coffees with different individuals, uh, professors, uh, you know, and they just picking their brain, like, you know, tell me about your life, your experience. Um, and these were individuals who some of them had political experience, had you know, been in elected positions, or maybe they just knew about it and they wanted to help uh help me along the way, right? And really my like what I wanted to do was learn. I wanted to learn what exactly was wrong with the system and the tools that we have available to help make it a better situation. And so, you know, those mentors were you know one of my principals. Um, he was a big proponent of that, my wrestling coach. Um, you know, he was like a second father figure to me while I was uh, you know, growing up in high school. Um that's why wrestling really, really hit home, right? Is because you know, when I wasn't at home, I was in my other home, which was the Matt. That really helped push me forward and and it all fell into place that way.

SPEAKER_01 16:10

Are you referring to Dusty Price?

SPEAKER_03 16:12

Dusty Price, yeah. And so I had the opportunity to be there during his first year uh coaching at Woodburn. Okay. And so his last year, that's when I came back and I helped coach. And so I was on that coaching corner with him. Um, and I will be honest with you, I think some of the best wrestling moments that I have in my in my brain, yeah, engraved in there, have been as a coach, you know, for seeing the the smiles and just the excitement of kids, you know, whether they win their district championship or they're going on to state or they're a state placer, just because I know what that feels like, and I know that sometimes that that's gonna make the difference between you know not going to college or going to college or pursuing something because you know said I did something, I could do more. What else can I do? And it gives you that mindset, right? And so I that's those are the moments I live by.

SPEAKER_01 16:58

Oh, that's cool. When you're able to help somebody else succeed, yeah. I think that's when you're making a difference.

SPEAKER_03 17:05

And I do want to, you know, talk about a specific instance where you know, we had this very talented kid on the team when it went when I was coaching, and you know, he was somebody who you know he was focused on winning, you know, and like like I did, you know, while I was in his shoes, you know, I had a mission and he had a mission. He didn't really talk about it to the rest of the team and the other coaches, but I had that that one-on-one with him and he said, Coach, I want to wrestle in college. But none of my teammates uh believe that I can, and they all think I'll to cocky. And he was very good, he didn't have the grades, and so I said this I said, focus on your grades, and when it comes down to the mat, I will make sure that we work hard so you have the best opportunity to wrestle in college. And so fast forward, we're at the district championship, right? And so all throughout that, you know, every every day I'd be like, you know, we have bigger dreams, we have bigger dreams. Every time I saw him, you know, lacking or you know, taking a breather. Yeah, and so when it came down, he you know, he got to the district finals, he was in that match, he was losing. And I could see it in his eyes, you know, that he was, you know, he was gonna lose it. And I said, We have bigger dreams, we have bigger dreams. And it makes me teary-eyed because at the end of that, you know, he pinned the guy. The first thing he did, he's he's a district champion now. He goes and he hugs me out of everybody, his family's there, you know, Dusty Prizes there, and he hugs me and he says, I was gonna lose that match if it weren't for you. And that's something that I carry deep with me, and that those are the moments that I live for.

SPEAKER_01 18:27

Yeah, you gave me goosebumps. That's an amazing story, bro. Thank you for sharing that, dude. Wow. Well, hey, that kid will always remember you. See, that's why I love the sport of wrestling, and it's just like just so much, it's just not just a sport.

SPEAKER_03 19:09

It's not, and you know, uh everybody I meet who they're like, yeah, you know, I want a kid, my I get I want to get my kid in into sports. Yeah, I'm like, have you thought about wrestling? You know, and so it's it's one of those sports where you know it really builds you your athletism. So, whatever sport you want to do, if you want to, you know, leave wrestling, you're gonna be physically built, you're right. And not only that, but your mentality, and that's gonna apply to more than just a sport, it's gonna apply to the grades. So it's gonna build that mindset that if I want to wrestle or if I want to do something else, I gotta get my grades right first. Yeah, and so that's something that I see in a lot of wrestlers and a lot of individuals, um, is the academics, academics, and that's something that Dusty was was big on, right? Was making sure that we had uh great grades, not good grades, great grades. And so yeah, I I really appreciate that about him.

SPEAKER_01 19:57

Oh man, yeah, we miss him having him as a coach. Yeah, I know he's the what the principal right now.

SPEAKER_03 20:02

Yeah, Jervis. Yeah, yeah, good for him. Absolutely there, good to have him.

SPEAKER_01 20:06

All right, so there's there's Woodburn's been going through a lot lately. Um you know, the presence of eyes and just spreading fear. And I know you can't really talk too much about it, but from from what you know or able to discuss, like what's happening here in Woodburn.

SPEAKER_03 20:24

Yeah, let's talk about it. I mean, it's it's too important not to. Um again, these are my viewpoints. Um, not even though I'm on the school board, uh these views don't represent the the wider school board uh viewpoints. Uh but yeah, so there's a lot going on in our communities. You know, we're we're seeing it day to day. We're seeing it in the grocery stores, right? We're seeing it in the quiet whispers um happening at church. We're see we see it in the eyes of parents dropping off their kids at school, wondering what tomorrow may bring, if they'll be able to pick up their kid or if they're gonna get picked up along the way. There's a lot of fear, and the city of Woodburn declared a you know state of emergency, and rightfully so, because it shows that Woodburn stands behind its most vulnerable citizens. And that's what we want. We want your community to be backed up by its government, the people who we elect to represent in Australia. And so, yeah, the schools are also doing their part. Uh, you know, we just re-adopted uh a resolution that reaffirms that our schools are safe and welcoming place, and we added uh a couple more things on there, uh, more teeth, if you will, to make sure that you know we really uh control what is going on and have protocols in place to make sure that every student who shows up is able to, you know, get home safely and while they're there, that they're able to thrive in that environment because scarce students don't learn.

SPEAKER_04 21:41

Right.

SPEAKER_03 21:42

And so, yeah, so right now, um, you know, there are individuals at every entry point uh that are keeping an eye out for you know suspicious activity, um, you know, whether that be somebody that looks like ICE or whatever it may be, um and they're reporting back. And so we also have the protocol that ICE is not allowed into our schools without a fed federal uh warrant signed by a judge. And so if they show up, there they need to go to the uh main office. And from there, you know, we contact legal and we say, hey, is this legit? Is this right? And then we take the necessary steps to make sure that uh our students, our teachers, and our family members are safe.

SPEAKER_01 22:18

Yeah, I saw that just past what? Uh beginning of the month, right?

SPEAKER_03 22:21

Beginning of the month, and every day, you know, we're looking at what else we can do to you know help improvement. Prove it because you know things are developing. And when you have uh you know federal agents and unmarked vehicles who kidnap people off the street and then they disappear without any accountability, that undermines the foundation of a free society, and that should alarm everybody, regardless of where you stand on immigration or what political uh what side of the aisle you stand on.

SPEAKER_01 22:46

Right, right. Yeah, you see that on social media like every day. Um but let's say uh a parent does get detained by by ice and they have students. Um what portable do you guys have?

SPEAKER_03 23:00

Absolutely. Well, before this happens, you know, we make sure that students uh, you know, they have a checklist. They have a checklist of what they need to do in case something like this happens, which is tragic. And so some of that is you know, having information on file, who to call, you know, emergency contacts, uh, what paperwork you need to have on hand. And, you know, let's say somebody gets picked up, unfortunately, right? Um, you know, we make sure that that student and their family, you know, they have somebody to go to, um, and that they have the resources, they know who to contact, and we're able to provide them with that help that they're gonna need because it is it's traumatizing, it it really is. And no student should ever have to go through that or family.

SPEAKER_01 23:40

No, no, no, no. Man, like what else can you talk elaborate a little bit more? I I know you're you have to watch what you say. Don't want to get you in trouble. Yeah, yeah. But um, what I'm trying to do is just give people peace of mind, knowing that hey, there's people looking out for the city.

SPEAKER_03 23:59

No, absolutely. And I think you know, look around here. We have, again, a city that declared a state of emergency. We have, you know, elected leaders who I myself have had, you know, coffee with and said, hey, like what are we doing? What else can we do? How can we step up? So rest assured that even though it's not super public right now, uh, things are being done behind the scenes uh to make sure that our community is safe because Woodburn is uh a hub for the Latino community and the Russian community, right? And so it's a very diverse community, and we need to be able to lead the way on what's going on. And so we look at places like Hillsboro and the like to see what we can you know help learn from them that's working from them. Uh what else is working across the country, whether it'd be Chicago, New York, uh, to better strengthen those protections. And so at the moment, I can say this that um things are being done to make this uh a safer community. Okay.

SPEAKER_01 24:52

Yeah, I I just appreciate all you do behind the scenes. Um and I know you have connection through like the federal, the state, local. Can you talk more about that scope, like like the whole scope that you see?

SPEAKER_03 25:05

Yeah, absolutely. So, you know, I think a lot of you know individuals become disillusioned when we see the things on TV. Yeah, what's happening in DC. That's that's a lot of what you hear is you know, oh, this is what's going on in DC. And so depending on where you stand, right? It's you know, it's either gonna hurt you or you you think it's gonna help you, right? And so sometimes we get frustrated when things are not going our way, where our situation is not improving, yet they told us it would, right? They made these promises that the economy was gonna be better, that you know, we were gonna get these, you know, these refunds, these, you know, uh all these incentives, and it's not happening, correct? Um but when you start, you know, narrowing it down, then you start looking at, okay, what is going on at the state level? And so right now, what's going on at the state level is that you know, Oregon is a sanctuary uh, you know, state. And we have elected leaders who are you know pushing for that to go even further, right? To make sure that every single person here feels safe and welcome, regardless of their status, their race, their gender, um, that Oregon becomes a home for them. And so the then you narrow it narrow it down even more. And so that's really where the bread and butter is, is at the local level. That's really where you see the impact, right? You see it in our schools, you see it in our city. And yeah, I'm thankful for the for my colleagues and you know the individuals in the city right now who they have stepped up. Uh they have stepped up, and right now that's all we can really ask for and support them, right? How can we support our leaders to support us? Okay, correct? Because that's we're all in this together, right? Um, I think if there's something that that really resonates with me, is that um, you know, I keep hearing that the American dream is dying, that it's fading. Um, I don't think that's true. I think that it's it's there and it's it's waiting for us to rise to it. And and I know that we will. Um, you know, our our parents survived worse. Our grandparents, you know, they crossed deserts, borders, oceans, mountains, all in pursuit of a dream that they would never fully see, but they believe that we could achieve. And you want to know what that dream is?

SPEAKER_04 27:09

What is it?

SPEAKER_03 27:10

It's you, me, and every child out there, every grandma praying for her kids before school. It's that hope, right? And so that that's what keeps us going. It's it's the hope that you know this is an America where you know we grow up again, we shake each other's hands at the end of a conversation where we may not agree, uh, but that's that's America that I have hope for. And that's the woodburn that I love. And I'm thankful for having grown up here because that's that's a mentality that I have. And I know uh that's not popular with a lot of uh you know individuals where it's you know, you're on that side or you're on this side. Um no, I'm on the side that makes sense, and that to me, helping people makes sense, yeah, regardless of where you stand. Yeah, and you can make all the promises you want, but if the impact is not being felt by the most vulnerable communities, then it's not going far enough for me.

SPEAKER_04 27:55

Right.

SPEAKER_03 27:55

And that's why we keep pushing the line to to make sure that we keep making this a better, a better place for all.

SPEAKER_01 28:01

I love it, love it. So, what's what's next for you? What's what what's happening in the works?

SPEAKER_03 28:08

Yeah, so I can't talk too much about it, but what I can say is that uh 2026 is gonna be an exciting year. So uh stay tuned and you'll know soon enough. I mean, the year is almost up.

SPEAKER_01 28:20

Awesome. And I gotta ask you, like, if you can jump in a time machine, go back in time and talk to your younger self, what advice will you give yourself?

SPEAKER_03 28:33

Oh man, that's that's a great question, you know. And I've I've taught about uh, you know, I think about this quite often, actually. There'd be a couple things at the end of the day. I would say this um there has been a lot of uh imposter syndrome. And I see it with a lot of people that come from woodwork, okay, that you know, they go out into their career fields, and because they never really side around them, they don't know if that's what it should look like, if that's how they should act, if you know, they don't really know. And so if I could go back and tell my younger self, it's just believe in yourself, just believe in yourself. And not that I didn't believe in myself, but there were always those doubts. And had I fully 100% and 110% believed in myself, who knows what we'd be right now. But you know, you you start developing slowly but surely, and then wrestling that's when that came in, and it you know, it gave me that confidence that I didn't have when I was a kid. Um, I think the second thing would say would be uh don't cut as much weight, you know, don't cut as much weight. Uh, I'm sure I could have grown a couple more inches had I not uh deprivated my body from all those nutrients. Uh but yeah, no, there there'd be a couple of different things that I'd say to myself. Uh but also love yourself. You know, I think people can be hard on themselves uh when things are not going their way. Um, but always remember that at the end of the day, no one's gonna care for you like you. And you have to fill your cup to make sure that you have enough water to fill other cups. If you want to help others, uh you got to first take care of you. And so I think that's something that I've learned. And so I carry it now in my habits, so I make sure to stay hydrated, I eat my veggies, and so yeah, it's you know, it's all led down this path.

SPEAKER_01 30:11

Yeah, you can't you walk down with a big water container.

SPEAKER_03 30:13

Yup, hydration is key, I say. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 30:17

Um, is there anything that we haven't talked about that you want to address to people?

SPEAKER_03 30:22

Yeah, you know, I think right now there's there's a feeling of a of a big dark cloud hanging over our families. Um and the thing about clouds, and something that I learned out in those muddy fields, is that they don't last long, they they disperse, and when they do, that's when the light it shows. And right now we're not seeing the light, but it will come. And I know that because we're gonna bring it. And we have people in Woodburn who show us the light every single day in the work that they do and how they do it. Um, you know, we have some of the hardest working individuals, and that's what gives me hope, you know, not only about the country, but about what's going on here in Woodburn, because this, I believe the story of Woodburne is a story America needs right now, which is the story where you know our kids grow up saying, I love you in three different languages. Where we don't ask what what side of the aisle you're on, we're asked if you've eaten, if you've had food. We take care of each other. And like I said, you know, the American dream, it's not dying, it's not fading, it's waiting for us to step up to it. And Woodburn, I know we will because if there's one thing that I know is that your voice matters, your presence matters, your courage matters. Yeah, don't let anybody tell you you don't belong because you absolutely do. You know, your parents, you know, they didn't sacrifice a lot for you to, you know, have your head down. Um, you know, right now Woodburn has yeah, has a choice to shrink in fear or to stand up to what's going on. And I believe that Woodburn is gonna stand up to what's going on because we're fighters and I'm proud to be from Woodburn.

SPEAKER_01 31:57

I love it. Awesome. Final question in closing, the Woodburn students out there. Um, what advice do you have for them?

SPEAKER_03 32:08

Absolutely. Um, you know, when when you're making that decision about whether to go to college, whether not to go to college, whether you're gonna pursue the military, where you whether you're gonna pursue any other route, there are always gonna be people that are gonna tell you, oh, go this, do this, do that. I hear it every day almost about people who said, Yeah, I only went to college because my parents told me so, or I only did this because somebody told me, or I didn't believe that I could.

SPEAKER_04 32:35

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 32:35

Yeah. Like, you know, pick something and go run with it. You know, you might not fully get there, but you're gonna learn so much about yourself, and whether you like it or not, and chances are you're probably not gonna like it. But let me tell you, that's the beauty about being young, is that you have the opportunity to try different things to fail. And that's that's the beauty of life, right? Is that you get to try again. And uh, you know, if you spend 10 years in a career field, you could always move on to another one as long as you put in the work.

SPEAKER_01 33:02

Yeah, exactly. Exactly. Well, Michael, thank you for for joining us here at the Woodburn Podcast. And uh, I'm excited to see what's next for you.

SPEAKER_03 33:11

Yeah, thank you for having me. You know, excited what with what you've done with the podcast, and I'm excited with the upcoming guests that you have going on. And so thank you for having me. Thank you.

SPEAKER_00 33:20

All right, buddy. Thanks. Well, that's a wrap for today's episode. Thank you for listening to the Woodburn Podcast. If you enjoyed it, share it with a neighbor and make sure to follow us on Instagram and YouTube at Woodburn Podcast. Until next time, stay safe and watch out for those muffles.