Education: Bachelor's in Psychology from InterAmerican University of Puerto Rico; master's degree in psychology from University of Houston-Victoria.

Accomplishments: Owner of New Beginnings counseling clinic and Integrity Defensive Arts clinic. Also worked several years in the Victoria Independent School District as a substance abuse specialist.

Enrique Torres transformed his own life and then focused on doing the same for others.

By day, the New York native helps rehabilitate lives at his New Beginnings counseling clinic, 1501 E. Mockingbird Lane.

By night, he guides students in developing confidence and assertiveness at his martial arts school, Integrity Defensive Arts, 2707 N. Laurent St.

While Torres said he often witnesses great transformation in others, he has also seen it in himself.

As the son of Puerto Rican immigrants, Torres said he grew up in the midst of a poor, rough neighborhood in the Bronx. His father worked long hours as a short order cook and his mother in a factory.

"All of us kids played on the streets of back alleys," he said. "We'd play stickball and basketball in makeshift courts."

Drugs, gangs and racial violence overwhelmed the rugged streets of the neighborhood, Torres said.

"Going up the stairs to our apartment, we would have to walk over or around all the junkies that were shooting up on the stairwell," he said. "My mother got mugged numerous times."

Torres said he can still remember himself at a young age, keeping his head low to avoid becoming a target.

Nonetheless, he still fell victim to bullies, which fueled him to practice martial arts when he was 10.

While he excelled at academics and athletics and gained the respect of many in his community, Torres said, drugs never seemed to leave his life.

"I've had some struggles that I inherited growing up in New York," he said. "I got into trouble because of drugs and alcohol - it made me lose a job, my home and my car."

Torres said he knew all along, he wanted to change. He left to attend school in Puerto Rico and went into rehab.

He has now been sober for 28 years and started his own counseling clinic in 1992. He moved to Victoria before that because of his then-wife's family.

"I really believe God inspired me to move forward," he said. " So, I wanted to talk about God freely and started this clinic with a Christian- based approach."

Along with his dream of the clinic, he also wanted to open his own martial arts school, which he did several years ago. Joshua Kline, who began training with Torres more than a decade ago, describes him as his second father.

"He genuinely cares about people," Kline said. "He wants to help them any way that he can, even with life advice. Martial arts is very important to him but not as important as the actual person."

Kline said Torres has transformed and impacted the lives of hundreds of students in the community.

He recalled one instance where all students came together to plate one of the instructors favorite swords in gold to show appreciation.

"I left for a few years for a job, and he gave me that sword," he said. "He wanted me to return it when I came back to train with him. The trust he placed with me was pretty astounding."

Torres said his life serves as testimony anyone can overcome the odds, even in the most difficult of situations.

"People tend to quit right before the miracle," Torres said. "Don't quit - just keep moving forward. You can fall, but pick yourself up and grow."

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