Joel Pelayo was born in Jalisco and came to the U.S. in 1983, at the age of 15.  Since then, he has always lived in the Fort Hall area of Idaho.  At 15, his first job was moving irrigation pipe.  He is in his fifties now and still works in agricultural jobs.  Joel has been married twice and is a beloved father.  He finished his GED in March 2023 and proudly walked in the HEP graduation ceremony in June, with his family in attendance.  It took him three years to graduate.  Although the process was often difficult, he persisted with HEP because he wanted to accomplish what he was unable to do in Mexico and prove to himself that he could do it.  When he is not working, Joel enjoys fishing, camping, and traveling to new places.  He hopes to transition to electrical work in the future.