2014 Tillman Scholar
Carlos A. Gonzalez was born in Managua, Nicaragua and he came to the United States at the very young age of seven. Leaving his war-torn country behind, Carlos made San Francisco his new home. After graduating with a Bachelor’s degree, Carlos joined the United States Army Reserve and served as an enlisted soldier with the 351st Civil Affairs Command in Mountain View, California, becoming the first in his family to join the military.
In 2004, while working as a police officer in Oakland CA., he was deployed to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. While in Iraq, he trained local police officers in Southern Iraq, developed relationships with NGO’s, negotiated with local leaders and he was the unit team leader. He led over 100 missions throughout the Dhiqar province providing humanitarian relief to the Iraqi people.
Upon returning from his deployment, Carlos oftentimes reflects back on his childhood memories, leaving his home country because of war, yet being the soldier in a foreign soil with a positive impact despite the circumstances.
After a successful eleven-years career in policing, Carlos enrolled for law school at Indiana University, Robert H. McKinney School of law. He graduated in 2015 and has since moved back to San Francisco. His goal is to be actively involved in police reforms that is practically achievable, without jeopardizing the police officer’s safety and that of the citizens we serve.