My entire life, I was very insecure about my body. Being Mexican meant I had more body hair, which is where my insecurities really stemmed from. I have had bad acne since the fifth grade. I had big,...

As a young girl growing up in Tanzania, a developing country, the idea of attending a four-year U.S. university was almost as mythical as an old African folktale. The fact that neither of my parents...

My mom has a good heart and she shows it by teaching my brothers and me how to be good people. When I was growing up, she used to take me to volunteer at my dad’s temple and various events.  Sometimes,...

More than 15 years ago, I worked out at the gym four days a week, two hours each day. Despite moving around in a wheelchair, my arms and upper body were so strong I could easily move myself in and out...

Although I was older than him when we met -- I was 11 and my rescue dog, Hunter, was five months -- it’s the opposite now. I’ve reached my prime at 21 and he is an aging 65 in human years. Every...

In 2020, I was a fairly optimistic, ambitious senior at Mira Loma High school in Sacramento, California. Now, I’m a third-year Cal State LA student slowly working to rebuild my social skills and my...

When I was 4, my parents, sister and I left West Covina, California, for Virginia, 2,234 miles away. We ended up moving to the city of Lynchburg — a name that seemed to figuratively foreshadow our...

Growing up, I didn’t have any siblings yet. It was pretty dull with no other person my age at home. My parents weren’t around during the day because my dad was at work, and my mom was still in college. I...

 The day I turned 18, my parents kicked me out of the house.  I had been gone for two days. I was making an attempt at a good gesture for my parents. My mistake was asking my aunt for a haircut, while...

I faced many challenges as a kid in martial arts. These obstacles included transitioning schools, relearning techniques — and the one event that ended my martial arts journey.  New school, new...