• Acting Brave Made Me Brave 

  by Shameera Sheeraz

  When I was 7 years old, an earthquake hit my village of Gujarat, Pakistan. I was sitting in my classroom, looking out the window feeling hot, tired, and bored. Then I felt the ground shake. Seconds later, the whole school shook.

• #blackinbrooklyntech

  by Aniqa Tasnim

  I’m a Bengali junior at Brooklyn Tech, one of the most competitive public high schools in New York City. Last January, our school got national media attention for a hashtag, #blackinbrooklyntech, that gathered stories of racism experienced by Black students. The first time I became aware of what Black students were facing was two years ago in my 9th grade biology class.

• The Long Journey Home

  by Anonymous

  Names have been changed. When I was a 5-year-old boy in Mexico, I had a red sweater with a hood. I loved to put it on my head and pretend that it was my long, beautiful hair. I looked like a girl even with short hair.

• Outgrowing My Therapist 

  by E.F.

  Names have been changed.  My foster care agency first sent me to therapy when I was 11 because I had suicidal thoughts. My grandmother didn’t seem fond of the idea, but she reluctantly took me.  The office was tiny with a desk and a chair for the therapist and two chairs for her patients.

• Testing My Anger Management Skills 

  by Anonymous

  After spending three weeks at Rikers last year for beating a girl up, I promised myself I would work on controlling my anger so I wouldn’t get in any more fights.  For a while, I was managing my anger well. I was walking away from confrontations, going to therapy, and successfully using the strategies I learned there.

• My Foster Parents Showed My Son and Me How to Feel Safe

  by Railei Girard

  I am 19 years old, married with two sons. I am surrounded by love and family. However it was not always like this for me. I am a foster care alumna. I first went into care at 3 and exited for good at 18.