If you want a bio for formal and professional reasons, go ahead and scroll down to my official bio! But if you want my version, here you go.

I was born in the Philippines back in 1987 and lived there for 18 years of my life. I lived in destitute poverty, living in a squatter’s area for the early years of my life, in a makeshift shanty house. Our neighbors were a mix of the homeless, the hardworking class who could not afford anything better, drug dealers, prostitutes, and the unemployed.

Then around 5 years old, my affluent father came for me and my mom, which allowed us to live in a gated community in a 2 story house with marble floors and a yard landscaped like it was a jungle resort. Our neighborhood is comprised of movie stars, politicians, retired professionals, and business owners.

Then for the next decade, my mother and I were prisoners in our house and gated community. My father, a Japanese man, born in the Philippines during World War II, was forced to fend for himself all his life and lived in a complex social structure. As a result, he raised me in the best way he thought.

My mom and I were never hungry, and my father taught me to play ball, martial arts, and other things. However, at the same time, my father was abusive, verbally belittled us constantly, and filtered all our interactions with the outside world. In addition to the physical, verbal, emotional, and other types of abuse, my father made sure that we were dependent on him.

I didn’t know that my life was not normal until I was in high school, when I got severely punished for inviting a friend inside our house. I didn’t realize the magnitude of our insane life until I had to go back to the Philippines in 2019 and helped my mother escape the house in the middle of the night, took several cabs, and had to go to multiple safe houses before I flew her back to her island hometown.

So at 16, my father gave me the best birthday gift - acknowledging me as his son which made me a US citizen. At the age of 18, I dropped out of my 3rd year in Computer Science at the University of the Philippines. I then hopped on a plane, alone, for the first time in my life, for a 30 hour flight to Tucson, Arizona, USA. I was running away and also pursuing my dream of becoming a rich bachelor writer!

Of course, running away 10,000 miles does not resolve anything. I suffered from nightmares, guilt, and other emotions that led me to excessive drinking just to sleep. However, one day, I met my wife and son (stepson), and my life changed. By age 20, I encountered God, found my calling in life, realizing that everything I experienced in my life and the continued growth I still need, is the fuel that will allow me to be a better human being. I got married to my wife and became a father to my two sons (Timothy and Kenji) and am still learning along the way what it means to be a partner to my wife and a father to my children. At that same time, we started Higher Ground, and the rest, you can find in our history.

So what else do you need to know? I was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (the original diagnosis was Aspergers) when I was young, and I do believe it’s my superpower! My faith defines a lot of who I am now, and I love to challenge my mind and body. I am a man of pattern and habits (I drink the same smoothie every breakfast and before sleep, wake up doing the exact same things for the first 3 hours of my day). I enjoy challenging my body, mind, and spirit. I love being a constant learner and learning areas that are not in my realms of expertise. I play guitar and bass guitar, love chess, and video games. I compete in Judo and BJJ, still working hard to be a black belt in both, and know multiple martial arts. And oh, I am the Batman.

Official Bio

Jansen Azarias-Suzumoto was born and raised in the Philippines and left for the United States when he was 18 years old. With an understanding of living through trauma, the cyclical nature of poverty, and a drive to empower youth in pursuit of their dreams, Jansen hoped to help youth build a legacy within their communities. After identifying the needs of his new city and of his own family, he started Higher Ground a Resource Center in 2007. Jansen is a loving father of two sons and a dedicated husband to his wife, Barbie Azarias. They continue to lead Higher Ground as a family with their passion and drive. Their faith strengthens and motivates their work with the organization. Today, Higher Ground serves over 2000 youth in Tucson and is an established Non-Profit in our community. 

Higher Ground focuses on Life Coaching and Community-Building while working with under-served youth in Tucson on life skills and emotional intelligence. Jansen’s leadership has helped drive the Community Schools Initiative for our city in partnership with our local school districts, La Frontera, and other community leaders. Jansen’s childhood informs the deep connection that he feels to the youth that Higher Ground serves. As the CEO and Co-Founder of the organization, he not only acts as a leader to his staff but also to the families that they serve. Going above and beyond his administrative duties, Jansen’s passion for martial arts has led him to coach both the youth and staff of Higher Ground to competitive championships in Jiu-Jitsu.

Jansen has unmet energy and natural leadership qualities. As a leader for Higher Ground, he has done extensive research on the importance of developing the skill of grit for individual success, as well as incorporated it into Higher Ground curriculum. As the founder of Character Lab and lead researcher on grit, Dr. Angela Duckworth said of Jansen “[he is] a paragon of grit. He is everything I study-laser focused on his goal of making kids’ lives better, and, at the same time, incredibly hardworking and resilient in making that goal a reality.”

Notable Achievements

Jansen is currently doing Professional Development for school districts and other organizations about fostering healthy choices, creating social relationships, encouraging values, building life skills, coping with compassion fatigue, and high-quality youth methods.

Currently through its different in-school and out-of-school programming, Higher Ground serves over 2000 youth annually. 5 years ago, Higher Ground was serving 300 students annually.

2021 White Riley Peterson Fellow

2017 Next Generation in After-school Leadership Honoree

2017 Mentor for the Young Entrepreneurs Academy

2016 Tucson Hispanic Chamber of Commerce 40 under 40

2015 Child Abuse Prevention Award

2014 Youth Leader Award

2013 FBI Community Service Award

2013 Community Leadership Award

Judo (Brown Belt) Jiujitsu (Purple Belt)

2016 Judo Summer Nationals Novice Champion

2016 Judo Winter Nationals Novice Champion

2017 IBJJF Pan American Bronze Medalist

2022 President’s Cup USA Judo Gold Medalist

#1 National Veteran's Athlete for USA Judo 55kg