(2/2) “The day I graduated high school was the happiest day of my life. My mom had passed away the summer before my senior year and I was living in Baltimore at the time. Nobody knew I was living by myself. I rented a room in a house in Maryland. I was seventeen years old at the time. I was spending all the government money to pay for rent and go to school. My father was part of the PTA, but no one knew that I wasn’t actually living with him. He had kicked me out. It was the best day when I graduated. I’d finally made it. I don’t believe anyone was there in the crowd for me, but I’d done it for myself. It was really hard getting to that point. Graduating high school was the biggest milestone I’ve reached.”













