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Rafael "Macho" Lopez

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Hello, my name is Macho and I am 19 years old. I work at Make The Road By Walking Inc., a non-profit organization in Bushwick. I am a youth organizer. I like to go to a lot of "Jams". I live with my girlfriend Yari. I call her my "wifey." Living on our own is good and less stressful than living with our parents.
October, 2000

Interesting fact: I love handball and know a handball move called a "roller."

My favorite web-site is: www.wwf.com
World Wrestling Federation site

Story Description: A year and a half ago, I dropped out of school. The teachers didn't have enough books to give us, there were too many kids in classes, and some teachers gave me a hard time. Sometimes we'd come out fighting, so to avoid that situation, I left school. I DID get something out of it -- knowledge. In my story, I investigate my own reasons for dropping out, talk to other students who've dropped out, interview the principal at the school I was at, and record myself and my tutor at Make The Road By Walking. I also talk about my plans for the future.

Mentor: Kerry Donahue moved to NYC to attend Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism and started working in the WNYC Newsroom after graduation. She currently works at a spoken-word Internet company called Audible and is a part-time reporter on the weekends for WBGO in Newark.