Book Title: |
Summary: |
|---|---|
| Formerly Incarcerated | Imagine a 17-year-old adolescent acting as his own attorney while living in an adult prison with a third-grade level education and serving life without the possibility of parole. Emotionally disabled to mount my own defense at the gates of a courthouse with pen and paper, I resorted to ignoring the facts and circumstances of my own situation and turned to those whose situations were similar and or equal to mine. Incarcerated for over 40 years, I experienced a metamorphosis from life in prison to practicing attorney at law. |
| Child of WWII | A World War II Story: When the Authoritarian Rulers Take Over. Everywhere in Europe was on march. Cities were burning. Roaming hungry, lost soldiers added to the complication. Join Johannes to hear about his childhood living in a war torn country during World War II and the similarities he sees in current-day Ukraine and Russian aggression. |
| Single Mom | Having escaped domestic violence when my children were very small, I learned how to flourish as a single mom. This book will tell the story of learning how to be independent, but also learning, eventually, how we're all interdependent, and how humility about accepting my village is what kept my family afloat. |
| Immigrant | As a sophomore in high school, I was excited to go on a school trip to Europe with my school choir. I was ready: had all my bags packed, paid for everything, and just when we were about to board the plane, I was asked to step out of the line. I did not expect the complications of traveling to Europe as an immigrant. |
| Absent Afghan Father | Growing up with (and without) a father from Afghanistan affected me in several ways - one way was my experience of growing up brown in the city of Saline. As a feminist, I also worry about the ways life in Afghanistan for women is becoming more and more restrictive and the poem I'll be sharing reflects that. |
| Hmong American | What flavor Asian are you? This story is about growing up Hmong in America. As a first generation Hmong American my parents weren't educated so growing up I didn't know my heritage until I attended a youth group in Middle School. I have been asked multiple questions about where my family came from. |
| Female Veteran | Going from being able bodied, carrying injured men, to not being able to bear ones own weight was soul destroying. Imagine now the added burden of being fairly young and being able to walk again, parking in a handicapped spot (deciding you're not using your cane and carrying it folded up in your bag for when you will inevitably need it) and being yelled at for dishonoring your husbands military service and parking in a space meant for him. I am female, I served honorably, I am the disabled veteran. How do we change our approach so we judge others and ourselves just a little bit less harshly? This story is about moral injury, stigma, and Veteran contribution to public health. |
|
Traveler |
I've always wanted to go on an adventure; to get to know new people, experience new cultures, and form relationships. This summer I went to the Virgin Islands with a group of young adults to help build a community center in an underdeveloped town. Along the way I got to see the kindness in humanity, in local bus drivers who took us around town and helped us meet the people, in bed and breakfast owners who let us crash in their living room for a few nights, and construction workers who let us help them even though we didn't know what we were doing. |
| Low-Income | Looking through the eyes of a person living in poverty, one must wonder why they make certain choices, why are they living where they do, who are the people they associate themselves with and what is their journey to come. It's easy to judge people living in poverty, but why is there a stereotype among those with a different income, and how can we change this for our future generations? |
| Queer in Utah (1 of 2 stories on this topic) | Two Queer Mormon Utah Stories: How I Escaped Mormon Culture and Met My Wife. I spent the first 17 years of my life in the heart of Mormon culture. When I later met my wife in Mesquite, Nevada, we realized that she grew up a few blocks away from me. (Openly lesbian from a young age & NOT Mormon.) By reading her Book as well as mine, you'll get a bigger picture of Utah and Mormon culture. You'll also start to see how much homophobia and hate were hiding in plain sight. I'll also share how it affected my development as a neurodivergent woman - and how it still affects me to this day. Sign up for Queer in Utah 2 to hear more of this story from my wife's perspective. |
| Queer in Utah (2 of 2 stories on this topic) | Two Queer Mormon Utah Stories: Growing up Agnostic and Queer in Mormon Utah. In this book, you'll hear about my personal experience growing up in the Heart of Mormon culture. Living in Salt Lake City, Utah, you were not accepted if you were not Mormon. On top of being agnostic, which the LDS religion saw as satanism, I came out as openly lesbian at thirteen years old. Homophobia was the norm in the area I grew up in. You'll hear about my experiences as a young openly gay girl and how this still affects me to this day. So much fear has lingered but I can't see myself as I am today if those things did not happen. Sign up Queer in Utah 1 to hear more of this story from my wife's perspective! |
| American Jew | Who's afraid of a giant inflatable menorah? When I put up holiday decorations in my front yard this year, I added Hanukkah decorations for the first time in my whole life. At first, I was exhilarated to add a giant inflatable menorah to the giant inflatable Christmas tree, but that joy was quickly covered by familiar clouds of fear. |
| Nontraditional Student | Every mechanic I worked with said, "Someone should have 10 years experience as a mechanic before becoming an engineer." I always talked about wanting to do just that and was I was making moves towards it. When it came time to quit my job and start school full time I was scared and close to bailing. Then my mother was diagnosed with stomach cancer. Join this session to hear about loss and maintaining determination. |
| Deaf-Blind | Identifying as Deaf-Blind, I highly value education. My first attempt at college was at a traditional hearing college with a sign language interpreter. Unfortunately, a professor misunderstood my communication and created a hostile environment. I tried to explain my Deaf culture, but few people supported me. I made decision to transfer to Gallaudet University, a deaf university and community, too. A roommate taught me how to get access to relate my vision need into school I got CDI ( Certified Deaf Interpreter) Having access to the support I needed, meant I understood my assignment! Returning back to Washtenaw County, I'm struggling to find community and a deaf-blind endorsed interpreter. |
| Mental Health | I knew I had mental health problems but I didn't know for sure until I was 18 years old. This story is about getting a diagnosis, how it impacted me and the talking together about the stigma of mental health. |
| Injured Veteran | I used to think I could only handle the high-stress environment I worked in while in the military because of my crewmates. However after breaking my foot, it nearly led me to committing suicide because it changed how I was treated. Included are all the little things that added up to my mental "implosion" and where that has led me to as of today. Suicide and depression mentioned. |
| High Functioning Autism | I have autism and with that growing up was hard, people often looked down on me. They would treat my little quirks and problems as me just being a troublemaker, when in reality I wasn't trying to be a problem. This is my story about growing up with autism and learning how to cope with it and encouraging others to unjudge autistic people. |
| Conservationist | When people hear the words "sea turtle conservation", they usually think about saving turtles from plastic straws and fishing nets. Until I went to Costa Rica to do turtle conservation, I thought that too, but there was so much more to do to help. This is the truth about turtle conservation. |
| Medical Diagnosis | This story is about how my sister fights her critical medical condition. Explore the added responsibility of helping my family speak English to navigate the medical system and the pressures I feel. |
| Career Fail | When I was graduating from college, I had one goal: meet my hero. To do this, I had to ignore all the advice I was given and make bad career choices. This is the story of why letting go of expectations helped me create my place in the world. |
| Chronically Ill | I knew something was wrong for years, but I didn't know what. I would burst into tears from the pain, and I still do. A few years ago, I was finally diagnosed with fibromyalgia, a chronic illness that causes widespread pain and fatigue, among other symptoms. This is the story of how I live my life with chronic illness. |
| Borderline Personality Disorder | For over 30 years, my mom had a dual diagnosis of bi-polar illness and alcoholism. I was her main support and our relationship was rocky; we loved one another, but there was so much pain. Then, a new diagnosis came: Borderline Personality Disorder. Although Mom rejected this terrifying diagnosis, I quietly read up and learned about it from professionals. Strangely, it was recognizing how the classic symptoms of BPD had shaped my childhood and affected my own mental health that started me on a road to healing. The diagnosis my mom rejected is the one that best helped me empathize with her and love myself. |
| Believes in Ghosts | Have you ever wondered what it would be like to live in a haunted house? After she tried to ignore the strange happenings in the 1880's farm house, discover how Claire learned the history of the house, heard identical stories from past residents and could no longer ignore the ghostly situation. Your group can choose its own side story to learn more about the hidden room above the porch, a Native American home cleansing or "My Darling Ruth." Join this session for the adventure... if you dare. |
| Boy Scout | As I finished up my time in Boy Scouts, I was quickly coming to my 18th birthday and needed to come up with an Eagle Project. Projects have to be helpful to the community and show leadership, but you are given little guidance on where to start. After several discussions with our local Parks and Rec center, I decided to upgrade the local dog park with a roofed shelter for users. |
| Stressed | I never realized what stress really was until a series of tragic events happened in my life all in one year. I was grieving the sudden loss of my mother who lived out of state, became a caregiver to my partner who became deathly ill and spent months in the ICU, had my parked car totaled, and moved homes all in a matter of months through the midst of the covid pandemic. Being strong and making it through these hard times alone has given me a whole new outlook on life! |
| Foreigner | When you receive a call at 10:30 in the morning asking if you want to go to work. You say yes. Can you be on a 3:30 flight to Iceland! No, make it tomorrow and I will do it. This started my adventures of working in four different countries and on my own. |
| Second Generation | I learned piano from my mother, a Philippine immigrant who came to the U.S. in the late 1960s. She played a lot of Philippine music when I was a kid, probably to help remind her of home. Back then, she played songs that I did not particularly understand, want to learn, or listen to. Recently, I have been wanting to hear them in the same way that I did when I was younger. Yeah, there's only one way to do that! |
| Cat Person | Pets - they keep us company, they entertain us and they brighten our days. If you love animals, you'll want to hear how I adopted my two cats from the Humane Society of Huron Valley. Originally, I wanted to adopt a dog. I did not know how much I would love cats until I spent time with them. |
| Camp Counselor | Have you ever had a summer job that was more than you bargained for? This is a story about how my first time counseling a one week session of summer camp went, and to say the least, it was very chaotic. At 15 years old I was put in charge of keeping 7 third graders safe, healthy and happy for one very long week. |
| Job Nomad | Gone are the days where high school graduates are hired, work forty-five years for the same company and then retire with a fully funded pension. Instead, modern society rewards the creative, flexible nomad worker who works from anywhere in the world. Listen to this story to hear about earning a living as a job nomad. Hear about a career of online gigs, freelancing, remote work and rewarding opportunities created. |
| Grade Skipper | I had never been faced with something so confusing until I was in the first grade. This is the story of how I was asked to skip a grade, the thoughts I had, the problems I encountered, and the long term outcomes come I have been gifted with since. |
| Alzheimer's | When I was growing up, my Grandma was my favorite babysitter, now I'm hers. This is a story about my grandma's decline into Alzheimer's; her weird behavior, decrease in speech, the signs and symptoms, and what she's like now, compared to when she was first diagnosed in 2018. |
Title: |
Summary: |
|---|---|
|
How I Found Out My Brain Wasn't Going To Explode: My Journey to a Multiple Sclerosis Diagnosis |
I managed to make it to being 45 years old before hearing "So there's something abnormal showing up on the scan of your brain." Come hear my story of freaking out, having to tolerate a lot of scary not-knowing, and then being mostly ok again. |
| 78 cards, a Black Cat and Some Candles: What It's Like Being a Tarot Reader. | “Will I get that job?”, “Do they love me?” and “Should I do the thing?” Are just some of what I hear as a Tarot Reader. “I hope I don’t get the Death card” and “This isn’t real” are usually the others. There are a lot of opinions, assumptions and stigmas around being a Tarot reader. I don’t listen to any of them. Let’s clear the incense smoke from the room, and talk candidly about the gift and art form that is reading the Tarot. |
| So What Kind of Doctor Are You? Should I Trust You? | How my education journey through 8 different states and a few dozen jobs across the country has taught me what the title of "Doctor" really means to different people and communities, both good and bad. People in the biomedical field are treated differently depending on where you are from and who you are as a person. Bias, diversity, elitism, culture, and most of all, the patient, all affect my interactions and my actions with people, once they find out I am a "Doctor". |
| I Have XY Chromosomes: My Intersex Story | When I was 13, I hadn't started my period yet. At the doctor, my parents revealed to me that I had XY chromosomes. |
| Stop Looking and Just Leap Already! | In my early 20s I had a choice, take a good job with a bright future or take a poorly paid, insecure internship with no room for advancement. The decision I made shaped my life. |
| Embrace Your Different | All my life, I have been told how different I was. It wasn't until a couple years ago when I finally started to realize that. There were times where I would be ashamed of my differences but I'm here to tell you how and why you should embrace what makes you different. |
| Who Are They: My Non-binary Experience | I used to think female and male were the only gender options until I learned more about non-binary people. Once upon a time, I even thought the singular they pronoun was improper English usage, but now I use it for many of my friends and ask others to use it for me. In my mid-20s, I thought it was too late for me to come out, and I faced gatekeepers, naysayers, and my own hang-ups. This is the story of how I came to accept and understand my queer identity through connecting with the LGBTQ+ community. |
| Sharing an Identity: Growing up an Identical Twin | As an identical twin, I've spent the majority of my life with my sister: school, summer camps, making friends, and life milestones. Many people who meet us think of us as the same person, or two parts of a whole. This is my story of finding an identity through constant comparison and misrepresentation, and learning to live separately from the person who has always been by my side. |
| First Generation Once Removed: An Adopted Immigrant Story | If I got a dime every time someone asks me, "are you from India?" or "how are you so good at speaking English", I wouldn't have to work. I don't know the world of rotis, garlands and curry. My skin tone doesn't match the requirements of "classical beauty" or even my voice. So, where do I fit in? |
| Twitter Troll to Twitter Activist | After Bernie Sanders dropped out of the race and the Pandemic hit, I was really depressed, in lockdown, and spending hours of my day on Twitter. I eventually found like-minded people and started a successful Twitter activism group to get policy ideas and progressive candidates trending nationally. |
| Bipolar Disorder is Not a Label | This is a story about my journey through coping with my bipolar disorder. I will discuss the symptoms that occurred and how my experience at U of M hospital changed my life for the better. I am also willing to give advice on how I cope with this disorder and how I have overcome it today! |
| It Gets Better: Coming out of the Closet and Diagnosed with Depression in Middle School | In middle school, I was diagnosed with depression it took a heavy toll on me. I was also in the midst of trying to figure out my sexuality. Battling those two huge parts of my life during a time that is already stressful was a lot to handle but I made it through. Warning: this story will mention topics of homophobia and suicide. |
| Mountains, Mud, and Metamorphosis: The Transformative Power of a Semester in the Wilderness | During a troubled time in my life, I went on a three-month wilderness expedition in one of the harshest environments on Earth. This is a story of how time in the wilderness helped me to find a healthier community and clearer sense of who I could be. |
| Pain in My Brain: Complications of the Misunderstood Diagnosis - Chronic Migraines | My diagnosis of chronic migraines, and all the crap that follows. The wide variety of symptoms, the medications, the testing and hospitalization, the worsening of my disability, the depression, the hope, all the people who didn’t believe me and ableism. (Trigger warnings – suicidal thoughts, possible profanity) |
| My Story May Shock You: Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) and Depression | My episode of post-partum depression spiraled into a major, months-long depression that did not respond to treatment with anti-depressants. My psychiatrist recommended shock therapy to turn my depression around. Would it fry my brain? Damage my memory? Would I still be me after electroconvulsive therapy? Desperate to get well, I trusted my doctor and tried ECT. My story will put the risks in perspective and dispel some of the fear and stigma that still surround this highly effective treatment. |
| Living in the Tin Can from Hell: Leaving Everything and Moving On | After working 18 years at a job I loved, the 19th year was impossible and the time came to leave. Where would I go to next? How about selling everything we own and traveling for a year or two? I jumped at my husbands suggestion. What a journey! |
| The Legal Limbo of Lesbian Motherhood: How We Became Moms, Legally | When I think about the hardest part of being a lesbian mom, it's not about issues of acceptance by my family or community, it's about the dehumanizing, humiliating, and costly legal issues we've had to deal with. I'll share my journey of lesbian momhood, from getting married to the same woman more than once, navigating birth certificates, and having to adopt children that should legally already be yours. |
| My Best Friend, My Soul Mate...My Dog | Porsche was an 8-year-old shelter dog. When we adopted her, she was very anxious and slightly aggressive. Then I discovered something wonderful about this girl... |
| "You'll Be Screaming for an Epidural!" - How Wimpy Me Planned a Home Birth | When I was planning a safe, gentle birth at home with a professionally trained midwife, I learned really quickly not to mention my birth plans! In this book, your group of readers can choose if you want to hear about the safety measures taken in a planned home birth, my gentle positive birth stories (including one baby that I laughed out instead of pushing), how my family came to choose home birth and/or what I learned with each of my children's births. |
|
Islander to the Mainland: Silent or Silenced |
I was born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii and I spent my entire life there defining who I was and who I wanted to be. However, when I moved to the mainland other people quickly jumped to define who I was and who was I trying to be. Disclaimer: Mental Health and race is discussed. It was during the pandemic that I claimed back who I am and the things I'm trying to accomplish. I define myself, and no one else. |
| Why I Don't Want Kids: My Journey from Natalism to Antinatalism |
As a Christian, I was raised to one day “Be fruitful and multiply” as the Bible says. But, my personal journey led me further from natalism (promoting reproduction of human life) to antinatalism (philosophical view that humans should abstain from reproduction). I still identify as a Christian, but my philosophy of reproduction has changed based on my view of the world. |
| Title:Subtitle | Summary |
| A New Way: Un-suicidal thoughts | Our family dealt an extreme stressor of suicide. However, there are ways to get through our daily stresses. As students, there are added stressors, but there are coping mechanisms and resources to help us get through |
| American Concentration Camps: A National Emergency? | What kind of a threat does a preschooler pose to the safety of a country? During World War II, the American government declared an emergency requiring David, just a 4-year old, and his familty to report to a prison camp. Visit with David to experience a page out of a history book and learn the experience of a boy who lost more than his freedom. |
| Bipolar Disorder: living with this and accepting me | When I was initially diagnosed I just could not accept it. I was worried about how people would see me but more so I hated how I'd have to see myself. It took being diagnosed a second time for me to start down the road to acceptance |
| Drug Addict: Challenging the rules of addiction | 12-15 perpetually getting deeper into addiction. 16 - 18 In and out of recovery, struggling, kicked out of house, graduated, Americorps. 18-19 solidifying different core beliefs and values. 20+ Potential opportunities of sobriety |
| From College Sophomore to Concentration Camp Prisoner: My rights disappeared overnight | May was a college sophomore living in California when her family was told to leave everything and report to a camp where she was held as a prisoner along with many other American citizens of Japanese descent. |
| From poor reading & low math skills to graduate degrees an a commissioned officer | People effect everything you do. Being a non achiever in my early school years people/teachers guided me to success. My life is full of Fortunate Learning Experiences. |
| Having XY chromosomes: Being Intersex | When I was 13, I hadn't started my period yet and I was having abdominal pain. At the doctor, my parents revealed to me that I had XY chromosomes. |
| How a survivor broke the cycle & moved on | I used to cower under the covers at night hoping the raised voices didn't get any closer. Terrified when they. Years later I saw the same terror in my childrens eyes. This had to stop, but how? |
| How one family thrives, even with multiple cancer diagnosis | When you have four family members out of seven diagnosed with cancer, how do they each deal? I am a two time breast cancer survivor, my aunt is currently admitted into the Karmanos Cancer Institute, my grandmother went to hospice and dies of bone cancer and my grandfather dies from prostate cancer. My mother, aunt and uncle have never been diagnosed. How are they coping? |
| I am honor's student & I have ADHD | I was diagnosed at the age of 7. I tested out of special education in 7th grade. Now, I am an honors student |
| I got out of bed today: Finding resilience through depression | I knew I had problems getting out of bed, feeling excited about certain things, and sleeping a lot (among other things) but it wasn't until college that I realized I had depression and could really use help. With awareness, support, and resources I was able to thrive even more and capitalize on my personal resilience. This is the story of how I have dealt with depression throughout most of my life and how it has influenced me (sometimes in positive ways) |
| Learning to live, grow and discover me | Growing up in the heart and soul of the Mississippi delta, I learned that despite the lack of opportunities, failing businesses and the remnants of slave plantations that there was more to the world beyond what I saw each day. I learned to live, grow, and discover me through education. |
| Mystery Book: Let a librarian pick your book | Don't know which book to select? Let a Human Library volunteer librarian select one for you! |
| Please, don’t wear a Speedo to meet my Prom Date: Loving my Awesome Father who happens to have Asperger’s | In my friend group, I have the most popular father. Everyone wants to know what Papa’s up to! He is warm, loving, generous and he has Asperger’s. Asperger’s has made my life as his daughter all that more interesting, exciting and quite surprising at times – like his insistence on wearing his ‘comfortable’ bright red Speedos for every occasion. Come check out this book and hear some ‘Papa stories’ that will make you realize why I’m so lucky to have Papa in my life! |
| Plan B: Growing up a mistake | I'm going to touch lightly on my moms way of life and how she grew up and why she had me. Then talk about how I was raised and how it differed between my and my siblings, and why that led me to have the belief of pro choice |
| Spain, Serendipity, and solo travel: my adventures in western europe | In 2017 I planned my own solo trip to Europe! I met many incredible and adventurous people along the way! I backpacked and bar- crawled across 9 countries in 5 weeks! |
| The truth of my college experience: the only way I could graduate was to hit rock bottom first | I never knew how much I relied on my parents for explaining things I didn't understand, until one day they couldn't. This is the story of how I learned everything about college from Google, made the decision to go where I ended up making hundreds of mistakes that lead up to hitting rock bottom, then to ultimately rise from everything and graduate. |
| Traveling solo internationally abroad: why you can do it and how | I have traveled to 25 countries, and most of the time I travel solo. I don't speak any other languages besides English. This is the story of why I do it, how to do it, and how you can too. |
| Truth, Tears, News, Rainbows: My Story of coming Out and Advocating for the LGBT+ Community | As average citizens, it is sometimes surprising to see how national news events help to shape our personal lives. For me, as an LGBTQ+ person, my story of coming out and increased advocacy work has been interestingly shaped by news events, including the AIDS epidemic, the murder of Matthew Sheppard, the Pulse Night Club shooting, and the Brett Kavanaugh hearing. In this session, I will share my coming out process, including how I first had to come out to myself, then publicly, and finally how I am trying to support greater understanding and acceptance of the LGBTQ+ community |
| Uncovering my sexuality: How I entered the closet as a muslimah, and came out of the closet as gay | I was 29 and in 8 months I would be 30. I told myself, GiGi, you can NOT enter another decade of your life not being your true authentic self! By the time I turned 39, I found the courage to take off the hijab and I told my family I was gay. |
| Venturing Out of Your Comfort Zone; Dare to Follow your Dreams | After retiring from the Navy and raising my children, I went back to school to earn my Master's Degree and to try something new: Teaching at Washtenaw Community College |
| From Prom Queen to Religious Life: How I chose to be a Roman Catholic religious sister | Much to the surprise of my friends & family, I entered the Servants of God's Love community when I was 21. Come hear why I'm the happiest I've ever been, and what it's like to be a Sister! |
| A story about a foreign student being isolated | I am a student from Hong King. Throughout the past two years, I was always left alone when a group project of discussion occurred. It is a story of the challenges I have overcome in communicating with local citizens. It is a story of how I struggle between American culture and Asian culture, and how I adapt in an English speaking environment |
| Having difficulty to understand a new culture and life in a new world | I felt completely lost when I first came to the U.S. I couldn't understand people, and people couldn't understand me either. However, I found a way to study and work without any help. |
| Roll With It: Adventure in Alternative Transportation | In a world built for cars, one girl braves the bus, the bike, and the crosswalks. She embraces a new way of life, one that is often looked down on and judged. This way of life is called Alternative Transportation |
| Yes, I really teach at prisons | I started teaching at the women's prison here in Ypsilanti in August 2018. I didn't know what to expect. What I found is that the students are awesome and they really challenge me to be my best. No computers, no PowerPoint, just me an dup to 20 students engaging for 3 hours. |
| One Day at a Time: Living Through Trauma and Learning to Thrive | Living with trauma all my life, I thought everyone on some level went through what I've been through, but I realized that for most people, most days are not a battle, & that changed everything. |
| A journey with Culture Shock | Have you ever been in a place where you don't even know how to flush the toilet? Believe it or not, I've been there! Moving to a new country is exactly like moving to a new world. Coming to the United States in 2014 was not an easy experience, it took a lot of time and effort to understand the fundamentals of the American Culture. Enjoy all the awkward, funny, stories of Ali in the land of confusion. |
| Coming To America- The Pursuit of the 'American Dream' (sans Eddie Murphy) | Have you ever wondered what it is like to emirate to the United States? Do you wonder what motivates families to migrate to the States, and what their intentions are when they arrive? Do you find yourself increasingly curious about Muslim and/or Arab culture in the current political climate? Do you worry about 'others' or 'outsiders'? I'd love to speak with you! |
| Beating Statistics: Living Beyond the Teen Mom Stereotype | Kristie had big plans to go to college and enter the medical field. Having a baby at 17 radically changed her life, but through determination, sacrifice and support, she’s on track to achieve her dreams with baby in tow. Listen to her surprises, struggles and sweet moments of teen motherhood. |
| Coping With Depression From an Early Age | Growing up in a Mexican household, mental illness was always regarded as laziness and a burden. As a person wired to look down upon mental illness, finding out I had depression absolutely changed the way I bonded, interacted, and viewed life. Finally coming to terms with my mental illness later in life has brought peace and abundance |
| #Hayden Strong Forever, Losing a True Friend | this will be a verbal form of an essay I wrote about the unfortunate death of my friend, and I will be talking about my friendship with him and what I felt when he died. I hope to connect with readers about the death of a friend. |
| CLUELESS: the Navy JAG Corps Version | My story recounts an unusual (and I think, rather humorous) occurrence from my very first trial as a Navy defense lawyer. Ultimately, it is about snatching victory from the jaws of defeat. |
| I Was A Cultural Chameleon: Answering The Loaded Question: “Where Are You From?” | A Third Culture Kid (TCK) is someone who spent a significant part of their development years outside their parents’ culture. A TCK builds relationships with several cultures but has real ownership of none. I was born in the US but from birth until the age of 20 I grew up living in Quebec, Canada, Switzerland, and Yugoslavia (what is now Bosnia). |
