written by Christina Hughes Babb · Photos by Danny Fulgencio

"Caring for a dying parent, surviving alone and homeless, living on four hours of sleep per night, holding down a full-time job and paying the household bills — teenagers here and everywhere deal with hardships, but few do so while remaining on the academic honor roll and emerging as leaders among their peers."

Rebuma Kedir

“He went for days sleeping in the park and getting dressed and brushing his teeth in the school restrooms. He didn’t tell anyone and, looking at him, you never would have known,” says Akers. “I asked him why he waited so long to tell us."

Sui "Mercy" Cer

"Though she was young when she lived in Burma, Mercy recalls enough to know to never take for granted the luxuries of urban America. Things like electricity and clean water were scarce in Myanmar. “When I came here, I did not even know what a toilet was. And laundry. That was one of the most exciting things.”

Biak Rem Chin

For more than a week they trekked much of the thousand miles across southern Asia with Biak and her little brother in tow — traveling in crowded backseats and truck beds when rides were available, hiding from authorities and sleeping on farmland.

Karla Ruiz

"They were supposed to watch the baseball game on TV, a favorite father-daughter pastime, and he had been late. She waited, and when the game ended she went to bed. Later that night, she swears, her dad cracked her bedroom door and whispered, “Lo siento. Buenas noches, te amo.”

Camila Melero

“When you don’t have a parent around, choosing to come to school, especially in elementary school and junior high, can be hard. I am proud of myself for being motivated to succeed and make it through all of my education, through senior year.”

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