CANUTILLO, Texas (KTSM) – A Canutillo High School senior is changing his life for good after having to wear an ankle bracelet and has now enlisted to serve with the U.S. Marines this June.

KTSM spoke with the senior and Canutillo High School counselor about what made him change to the young man that he is today before he graduates.

“When we first Ramses when he was a ninth grade, then towards the end year he was failing all of his classes and then he would go to summer school every year. He was doing well and then he would not pass a class and then, so we did this for four years. Eventually we had to put him in you know classes, so he can regain his credit,” said Canutillo High School Counselor Amanda Blake. “So senior year his life turned around, he started to earn his courses, and I worked one on one with him each month, each semester to push him.”

Eventually following the footsteps of his role model and now heading to San Diego this summer.

“I used to hang around with Gunner Sergeant a lot. He would like kind of influence that idea into becoming a U.S. Marine, we would always get along and we would always talk. I would say he definitely influenced me to what he portrayed to me in becoming a Marine,” said Viramontes.

Although he would get in trouble numerous times from talking back to a teacher, not doing his homework and starting fights with his fellow classmates, there was always hope from his mentors.

“He’s always been respectful, no matter how much he in trouble. Some days were good days, and some days were bad days, but every day is a new day and that is how he continued to blossom,” said Blake.

After Viramontes faced charges by the parents of the student he fought. He noticed students were afraid to even be around him.

“Now that I am thinking back to when people would judge me, they would look at me bad and they would see a bad person and now that I’ve changed, I’ve better my life. I notice they notice and that makes me feel like the spotlight effect. Cause you know not everyone gets recognition or a change in their life or an academic come back,” Viramontes said.

All thanks to his former and present mentors at Canutillo High School he’s headed down the right path, never looking back.

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