Press Christmas for All celebrates accomplishments of Paul Myers

He's a proud girl dad.

He's a University of Idaho student with a gleaming 3.93 GPA.

He's just a few semesters from graduating and a couple tests away from becoming certified as a teacher.

And in just one more appointment, he'll have completed the laser removal process to free him of tattoos that are a reminder of a rough life he left behind.

Paul Myers, 41, of Coeur d'Alene, has much to look forward to as he continues to work hard toward a bright future for himself, his wife-to-be and his little girls.

"Things are going really well," Myers said Thursday. "Just cruising along."

His eyes lit up as he shared that his 7-year-old, Nina, is in second grade and taking swim lessons.

"Delilah is 2 years old, and she is crazy," he said, chuckling.

Myers has come far since he found sobriety and made the decision to remove gang-related tattoos that created barriers to a better life.

Born to teenage parents who were caught up in drugs and violence, Myers and his brothers were pretty much on their own from an early age. They were often locked in their rooms when their parents were using.

Myers eventually became involved with a gang in Las Vegas, where they lived at the time, and ran drugs because he was too young to be searched by police.

He and his brothers were separated when they went into different foster homes, many of which placed the boys in bad situations. Myers found a true home with the last foster family that took him in. By this time, he was behind in school and got in trouble for underage drinking. He started hanging out with the wrong friends, using meth and soon found himself in prison. He continued down a dark road until the birth of his first daughter, which changed his life.

"I quit when my daughter was born and I never turned back," Myers said in a Nov. 24, 2022 Press article.

In 2022, Myers began working with North Idaho College's Center for New Directions, Charity Reimagined and Press Christmas for All to remove the tattoos, which caused more than a few negative reactions from the people and children he encountered in the community and in the classroom.

"It's helped my life," he said. "I don't get viewed in a certain way."

He said a few years ago, he was lost in the Kootenai County building looking for the DMV and tried to ask someone for help.

"There was this little old lady in the hallway looking at a pamphlet and I said, 'Oh, excuse me,'" Myers said. "She looked at me and she took off. I was just going to ask where the DMV was. And I got a big heart, so that hurt my feelings pretty bad. I would only credit that to the tattoos.

"That isn't happening anymore," he continued. "I'm not getting stared at anymore."

The tattoos have served as a conversation starter in some instances, Myers said, and not always in a bad way.

"Sometimes those people want to talk, and they find out you're not gangbanging anymore, and they take it a little differently," he said.

He said he loves when he looks in the mirror and sees they're gone.

"It's just different, man," he said, grinning. "I just feel more accepted in the community."

He said he is looking forward to working with kids and connecting with underprivileged youth who may be in similar circumstances he and his brothers experienced growing up in broken homes. He will soon also be tutoring eighth grade students who have struggled in the foster care system.

"That, to me, is one of the main reasons why I want to do this job," Myers said. "I'm looking forward to making connections in the community and teaching young minds. I cannot wait."

Before graduating from NIC and continuing to the U of I, Myers worked as a peer tutor in the math department and was a student of the month while maintaining a 3.2 GPA.

Center for New Directions student success navigator Louisa Rogers is a referring partner for Press Christmas for All. She has closely worked with Myers on his journey and she — like so many in the community who have witnessed his transformation — is incredibly proud of his accomplishments.

"It's been such a privilege to witness Paul's journey," she said. "He's definitely an inspiration. He's living proof that no matter how difficult your circumstances are, it's possible to create meaningful and lasting change."

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This is the first in a series of "where are they now" stories The Press will be sharing this week as we lead up to the launch of our 2024 Press Christmas for All campaign. Please join us in celebrating those we have been privileged to give a hand up as they work to better their lives and give back to our community.

    Paul Myers looks over his academic progress Thursday at North Idaho College.
  

    Paul Myers before his laser-removal procedures, left, and after.