Jorge’s nature journey began on his native Caribbean island of Puerto Rico. Growing up hearing his father’s gripping stories of fleeing Cuba for better opportunities, he developed an early reverence for human resourcefulness and adaptability—traits he first honed as a young Cub Scout exploring every awe inspiring corner of the island.

In 2002, his family relocated to Austin, Texas, turning the Central Texas backcountry into his new training ground. Driven by a deep curiosity of how humans historically thrived off the land, Jorge spent two decades learning from diverse global ecosystems. He built his experience across vast terrains, navigating the high elevations of the Andes, the Rockies, the wetlands of the Florida Everglades, the arid country of the American Southwest, Mexico, and Argentina. To anchor these raw experiences in technical accuracy and safety, he sought out masters in the field along the way, immersing himself in skills passed down through deep lineages of world class wilderness mentors.

This unique background gave Jorge the practical foundation to live off-grid for eight years on an 85-acre homestead in Central Texas. By manually developing his family's food, water, shelter, and energy infrastructure through permaculture and basic engineering, he gained a deep, real-world understanding of what it takes to live with this goal. Yet, a true guide must test their medicine where it is needed most. While still homesteading, Jorge took a position as an administrative support specialist at a low-income public elementary school east of downtown Austin. When COVID-19 hit, he quickly mobilized to guide his school community through the disruption. By sharing practical skills in resourcefulness, he guided families facing job loss and food insecurity endure this collective hardship. His community's response was deeply moving; families rallied together, discovering a shared strength and a deeper understanding of the land that transformed a time of survival into a powerful movement of mutual support outlasting the crisis itself.

This profound experience sparked his permanent transition into a community educator, but the ultimate epiphany of his journey arrived when he looked into the eyes of his own children. As a father, Jorge realized that modern children are entangled in a comfortable, ultra-safe captivity—insulated by screens and denied the vital, challenging thresholds that forge true human character. He recognized that a "less is more" philosophy is a developmental necessity, prompting him to instill the core wilderness truth: know more, carry less. Today, through Soul of Oak, Jorge provides his students inspiration through natures training grounds. Under strict safety protocols and guided by child-led curiosity, students use minimal gear to navigate tangible challenges—crossing their own healthy milestones to emerge as capable, resilient leaders of the modern world.

*He offers courses for participants in the English and Spanish language.