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“When I was small I did not have anyone to help me read. … I felt like the dumbest girl because other students used to say, ‘you can’t read.’ … I started living with my mom by the end of the third grade. My mother was helping me to learn to read. … I felt happier because she made me feel like I had someone on my team… I know I can do better. I can do it!”

by Ranika Davis
5th grader at Thomson Elementary in 2010

“For me, immigrating to the U.S. has given me many opportunities for my future…But during the time I have been here, I have had a nine-year separation from my mom, grandmother, brother, and a sister born I left behind…I have really needed my mom’s advice, affection, warmth, and care. This has created a hole in my heart…I hope someday they will get the chance to come to the United States legally.”

by Jonathan Fuentes
8th grader at Raymond Education Campus in 2013