Fourteen-year-old Derrick can be pretty aggressive. A big part of why Derrick loves football is that he can hit people -- without getting in trouble. At home, Derrick gets in trouble a lot, and this often leads him to fight with his brothers.

Miguel has struggled to find a safe and supportive place to live for many years. He's aged out of the foster care system, but still needs help as he's also dealing with mental illness issues. But the system is frustrating for Miguel. He moves from shelters, to the street, to his girlfriend's apartment, to assisted living environments, to hospitals, but has not managed to find a place to call home.

Migel was mentored by Jamie York.

Veralyn has spent almost her whole life in the United States. She doesn't even remember Sierra Leone - her birth country from which her parents moved when Veralyn was an infant. Her dad has a green card. Her younger siblings are all citizens who were born in New York. Veralyn, however, is confused about her own legal status. 

When Francis got shot in the leg, he realized he had a second chance at life. Another young person was shot in his neighborhood a few months before him and tragically died. Francis' story is about how his life changed after the shooting.

Francis was mentored by Leslie Koren.

When Cat finds herself obsessing over people she hardly knows but is smitten with (like celebrities), she realizes it takes over her life.

Chico loves his parents, but thinks they can learn a few things about parenting - from him. Chico thinks since he's a teen, he knows how best to parent teens. Chico's come up with some pointers for parents, and explores them in his story.