“My parents, siblings and I used to visit family in Mexico all the time… but during one of those visits, my father lost his visa. My mother panicked when she had to travel back to us without my father. She had to decide what to do: either stay in Tucson and find a job, [...]

“When I was preparing for my seventeenth birthday, neither of my parents had had a job in over 7 years… so we were extremely poor. My mother stopped taking us to the doctor, buying us clothes and toiletries, caring about our education, and our home. We had not had any running water, gas, air [...]

“When I was born, my mother and father were still just babies themselves… trying to create a puzzle with pieces that didn’t belong. Instead of splitting up, they fought, frank, and did drugs. The partying was never-ending, and even though having my little brother in my life made me happier, it also made it [...]

“As a child, I was in and out of different homes because of how irresponsible my parents were. It was ridiculous how many times I had to move schools and how socially unstable I was. I felt lonely and as if I was a bother in life. My brothers and I lived in about [...]

“The Theory of Chaos proposes that a butterfly’s wings in Brazil can cause a tornado in Texas. Is it not ironic that chaos, something hectic and unplanned, would not happen at all if it was not articulated and timed perfectly? I see this theory as an important analogy for my life. When I was [...]

When Julian was a young child, his parents divorced and his father quickly exited the picture. His mother soon met a guy, and this new addition to their family was anything but pleasant. This man was strict, demanding, and abusive to their mother… causing Julian and his younger brother to feel unsafe in their [...]

Omar grew up surrounded by alcoholics, drug users, and gang activity… even getting involved with a local gang at a young age because he was tricked into feeling safe and secure. His parents didn’t care where he was or what he was doing, especially whether or not he went to school. Omar hated being [...]

“I was raised in Iraq… specifically, in the Sinjar Mountain region. When I was a teenager, ISIS attacked us because we were not Muslim and they gave us a choice: either become Muslim, or lose your head. Fortunately, I got a chance to come to the United States because my brother was a translator [...]

Growing up, Alex and his brother witnessed more than their fair share domestic violence. Their dad was an alcoholic, and their mother couldn’t control her temper or hold down a job. During the worst of times, Alex resorted to selling drugs in order to make ends meet for their family. Watching his older brother [...]

Mariah and her family were new to Tucson; that’s why it came as such as shock to Mariah when her parents kicked her out of the house. She had recently broken the news to them about her pregnancy, and they wanted nothing to do with her. Other than her teachers and classmates, Mariah didn’t [...]