Jorell “Joey” Diaz was born in 1991 into an unstable household. He was adopted by his grandparents, whom he lost at the young age of eight. Joey then entered the foster care system in the South Bronx, joining a house of eight children. During his freshman year of high school, he dropped out of school along with his foster brother, who had become his best friend. One day while Joey was skipping school, he witnessed his foster brother die from a stray bullet. This devastating experience motivated him to re-enroll in high school and graduate on time. Joey got a full scholarship to attend Trinity College in Hartford, CT, and graduated in 2013 with a degree in Education and Urban Studies. Putting his degree to use, Joey joined City Year New York in the summer of 2013. He served as an AmeriCorps member at PS/MS 57 in East Harlem, NY, where he partnered with teachers to help keep students in school and on track to succeed. After completing his first service year, Joey returned to City Year as a Senior AmeriCorps Member and Team Leader at the same school, where he continues to serve today.