This Is Iowa: Formerly homeless wrestler now achieving greatness, inspiring others
Jaime Miranda has a special connection with the kids he now coaches and helps
Jaime Miranda has a special connection with the kids he now coaches and helps
Jaime Miranda has a special connection with the kids he now coaches and helps
Jaime Miranda's childhood was heartbreaking.
"We were homeless on and off, sleeping in and out of friend's houses," he said. "We lived in mom's little Geo red car."
His dad abandoned the family. They found a place to live, but it burned down. Over and over, life dealt young Jaime one crushing blow after another.
"It was really hard. We slept in bus stations at night, on benches. Mom stayed up, checking on us. I spent most of my life being an angry, bitter person."
Over and over, Jaime found people to help him get back on his feet. When he tragically lost his mother to breast cancer, he made a promise to her.
"I want my mom to be proud of me."
He turned anger into motivation, doing his schoolwork and developing into the top heavyweight wrestler in the state of Washington. He earned a scholarship to Central College in Pella, Iowa. When he arrived, it was hard. Matt Diehl was an assistant for head coach Eric Van Kley.
"He tried to quit, and Van Kley wouldn't let him," Diehl remembers. "He said, 'You are part of our team and our family, and we don't quit on each other.' That is a big part of his stamina and his hope. He knows he has a family no matter what."
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With help, Jaime not only thrived, but his inspirational story led to an invitation to the United States Capital to speak to the U.S. Department of Education about homeless youth.
"I want to share my story," Jaime said. "I want to help."
He graduated from Central in 2017. He was just getting started.
"It's not where you come from, but what you commit to after that," Van Kley said.
In the years since, Jaime, now 29, has somehow managed to become even more inspiring.
"Right after college, I went to Woodward Academy as a counselor," he said. "I wanted to go back to college to get my master's. I needed to pay for that, so I ended up enlisting in the Marine Corps."
Jaime was based right outside D.C. "When I got there, our leadership pushed developing yourself as a leader. I pursued my education in business leadership at Trident University."
He also joined the All-Marine wrestling team. "I competed in the U.S. Open and the last-chance qualifier. In 2019, I got a spot at the World Team Trials in North Carolina."
He found himself with a shot to make Team USA.
"It was an honor and a blessing to be able to compete with those guys."
Jaime finished his enlistment and earned his master's degree. Then, he and his new wife, Emily, were on the move. Jaime accepted a coaching and interventionist job at MOC-Floyd Valley High School as the couple moved to Emily's hometown in northwest Iowa.
"I was a secondary intervention specialist, working with kids that have struggles academically, a lot like my personal experiences that I grew up with. That is what called me to that town and that role. It was a God thing."
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While there, Jaime also began his Doctorate program at Drake. By then, his resume — and his connections — were incredible. He could get a job anywhere he wanted. There was, however, only one place that truly felt like home. This past year, Jaime returned to the place that changed his life. He now serves as an assistant coach for the Central College men's and women's wrestling teams.
"Some of the greatest mentors I ever had were here. It's amazing to walk in and see all these great leaders. I love coaching. Now I can learn from the best, as wrestlers and coaches. It's exciting to be back."
With every ounce of encouragement, it's Jaime's turn to change lives — lots of them. His full-time job is working for a Central College program called Upward Bound. He goes into Des Moines high schools to help students get ready for the same thing he never imagined he'd be a part of: college.
"We pour into those kids. Two days a week, we go to schools. We teach them financial literacy, the scholarship process, and help them apply. We have done two college visits. It's all working with kids similar to me. There's always one story I can relate with. That helps me connect."
He answers questions, offers support, and even joined in on singing "Happy Birthday" to one of the students.
"God has given me a gift to be able to connect with youth."
Bachelor's. Master's. Marine. Doctoral candidate. Coach. Husband. Father. Mentor. The formerly homeless Jaime has kept his promise to his mom and then some.
"It's very unbelievable," said Diehl. "I would even say a miracle. His heart changed, his mind changed. It is really cool to see. I am elated to see him be a dad and a husband. Now, he is helping kids. It is amazing. I am grateful for that. I am excited for his life."
He still thinks back to how close he was to not making it off the streets.
"With what I do now for Upward Bound, it clicks for me every day. It really is a God thing. Every step of the way in my life, whether I was receptive or not, there were multiple people there for me. There was always someone there when I tried to quit. They kept encouraging me to go forward."
Now, Jaime is that person.
"Trying to be," he said with a smile.