HoC: Brother on Campus
Humans of Chaffey: Emmanuel Washington
Emmanuel Washington, Photo by Ian Edwards
Emmanuel Washington, 34, walked into the Chaffey community in 2003 after hegraduatedhigh school. Washington took a step back from his educationbecausetherewere things in the workforce that he wanted to try.In 2013, he decided to commit to Chaffey College and complete his degree. He is currently a part-time student, and has been working security for 11 years.
Washington is majoring in kinesiology in hopes of becoming a personal trainer. This is an ironic career choice seeing as he claims he is not fond of athletes, nor does he enjoy sports.He wants to become a personal trainer because physical growth through training is something that hits home for Washington, both emotionally and physically.
When Washington was five-years-old, he was in a fatal car accident that had him pronounced dead in the hospital for seven weeks in a coma state.He had a broken neck, crackedskull,jaw, right arm and needed a metal plate in his head. After the accident, Washington had brain surgery that affected the nerves in his left side.Because of this, he was unable to participate in contact sports growing up.
However, in 2013 he found himself watching bodybuilders on YouTube and was intrigued by the different workout methods. He saw trainingas a way toguide his own physical strength.
“When I pick up a weight, and I do certain things with my left side to build strength and get stronger, this is when a passion began togrow," Washingtonexplains. "Therefore,ever since I picked up a weight, I have not put it down.”
Personal training is not the only thing Washington is well-versed in. Before the weights, he attempted to break through as a hip-hopartist.He has been freestyle rapping since he was 11 and has no fear of spitting a few bars at an open mic.
"People have told me that if you listen to music now and the things you were doing in music back then, if you would have just elevated then you would be making it today,” Washington recalls.
Not only does Washington know his lyrics, but he states that he also conveys an uplifting and motivational message through rap, an energy lacking in rap today.
“If you can rap downgrade women, or selling drugs... I know you can talk about telling kids how to graduate or how to build businesses,” Washington states.
Washingtonis furtherinvolved on campus, beingapart ofthe Brothers Forum run by Ray Austin since 2016. The Brothers Forum is an extension of UMOJA and meets every other week. Washington has been there from the beginning and is actively recruiting students to check out the meetings.