Anthony “Tre” Ravenel, wearing a black-hooded sweatshirt, black cargo jeans and a sparkling dime-sized diamond earring, told Clovis High School students the uncensored truth of the consequences of his choices. On Tuesday morning, Clovis High sophomores and juniors heard the life story of the gang member from one of the most notoriously rough neighborhoods in the country — Compton, Calif., a suburb of Los Angeles. He had the high school students’ undivided attention. He asked, “How many of you have experimented with alcohol?” Almost the entire auditorium raised their hands. Marijuana? About 1/3 raised their hands. “Involved in gangs?” About seven students raised their hands. This was no candy-coated speech. “If God cared about me, why would he give me a dope-fiend Mama who was only having babies because of prostitution?” said Ravenel, explaining he and his five brothers all had different fathers. His story was one of survival in a neighborhood where aspirations often don’t go beyond the gang, and the drugs in the trunk of the car. One where a 7 year old sells drugs to feed his brothers, to support his mother’s drug habit, so he wouldn’t have to see her with strange men each day when he came home from school. One where a 12 year old shoots the guy who shot and killed his freshly out of prison older brother. Ravenel was convicted of the crime and spent about five years in a juvenile penitentiary, spending each visiting day waiting for his name to be called — only to be disappointed, visiting day after visiting day. One where a 16 year old gets shot in the head, in the back, and fights to survive — only to hit the streets with drugs again. At 39, Ravenel has spent almost half of his life in jail. “Most of the time in life, you’ve got the right to choose which way to go,” the Albuquerque resident said. “I’m about to be 40 in a couple of days, and I ain’t had no life.” Three days after Ravenel got out of federal prison 18 months ago, he spoke at the Pathway Intensive Outpatient Treatment Center in Clovis. Since then he has been traveling the state, sharing his story with teens at junior high schools, high schools and rehabilitation centers. “When you live a good life, a real wholesome pure life, good things will happen,” Ravenel said. “Don’t pay attention to the dude telling you how to get in trouble, pay attention to one trying to keep you out.” When Ravenel finished speaking students gathered near him to talk and take pictures. “It made me snap, I’ll tell you that,” said 16-year-old Alicia Maes. “He was so respectful of us. If we go up to him and talk to him after, he helps us.” Amelia Sandoval, the family services specialist at Clovis High School, had heard Ravenel speak and thought his message would be pertinent to Clovis students because of the violence going on in and out of school. “I thought he may be able to help them see what their choices could lead them to,” Sandoval said. “At some point in his speech, he would affect everyone in some way.” Clovis High junior P.J. Anrad said he thinks it worked. “I bet you he convinced a lot of people,” said Anrad, who said there are many students who want to be in gangs and others who are. “I thought it was real good.” Another student, Issac Ortiz, said he enjoyed the speech, but it isn’t going to change his behavior. “It was cool because he related to us,” Ortiz said, explaining that he doesn’t usually like the assemblies. “He lives a life similar to mine, but I didn’t really learn anything.” As for Ravenel, he said he never dreamed he would have a job like he has now — traveling across the state and helping teens. He says his experience doesn’t seem as bad when he hears the stories of other children who have been molested, or rejected by their families. “When I start hearing stuff like that, I just want to save kids,” he said. “You hear some stuff that will bring you to tears.”