As a child Sal, along with his brother Felipe, participated in the Children's Aid Society Head Start Program. It wasn't until junior high school when Sal was introduced to the Carrera Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program. In fact, it was his brother who introduced him. At first, Sal would attend program meetings and outings. It wasn't long before he was fully engaged in the program.

At twelve years old, the Ayala brother's mother had left their home and Sal was headed in the wrong direction. Feeling uninspired and unable to foresee a future, it took some time for Sal to realize that his mother's departure was not his fault. Sal's initial involvement with CAS and Dr. Carrera's program was working to establish sound mental health and positive self expression. This enabled him to make progress almost instantly. He soon realized that he hadn't reached his full potential and his options for the future were unlimited.

Sal was enjoying opportunities he had never imagined. He obtained an internship on Wall Street and with Knight Ridder Financial, had the privilege of meeting President Clinton and was able to prepare for the SAT's. With high scores and good grades, he attended Binghamton University and graduated in 2002 with a BA in History.

Currently, Sal is working as Coordinator for Mentoring Services at Catholic Big Sisters And Big Brothers. He reaches out through schools to parents and the community to get kids involved with the program. Sal works directly with kids ages 7-17, he matches them with mentors and tracks the progress of the match. "I really enjoy seeing kids that were in my position, and giving back to them what I learned; while learning how to better the work within it." His future goal is to be an Academic Advisor or Guidance Counselor.