In the midst of COVID-19, Donley is assisting in the coordination of relief efforts coming out of the Homeless Services Network. The network aims to combat homelessness through funding programs and providing direct crisis recovery for agencies across Orange, Osceola and Seminole counties

鈥淟ocal agencies serving homeless individuals and families have quickly instituted major changes to ensure that everyone stays healthy,鈥� she says. 鈥淗SN is coordinating efforts across agencies. It has been a major undertaking and the work that these agencies have done is commendable.鈥�

Donley has also turned her research towards understanding the impact of unemployment and furloughs prompted by COVID-19. Donley and her students are conducting a real-time online survey of hospitality industry workers who have been directly impacted.

鈥淥ur hope it to shine a light on the impact this is having on the people who make up a major employment sector in our community, so that people feel heard and considered rather than just a statistic,鈥� says Donley.

Seeking to understand the quality of life and sociological tendencies of homeless and impoverished communities does not end with her research. Donley has a hand in many of the local agencies that have a direct impact on the wellbeing of these individuals

鈥淚 think it is important that we examine the structural reasons why so many people live in poverty or experience homelessness,鈥� says Donley. 鈥淏eing poor or homeless is a condition, not a personality trait.鈥�

Donley believes solutions are also found working with community partners, which is one reason she directs the . It produces research about an array of subjects within the social and behavioral sciences, particularly via collaboration with non-profit and government agencies.

She also serves on the board of directors for the Coalition for the Homeless where she is able to communicate what she knows and can draw direct information for her research.

Over the past several years Donley has mentored countless graduate students and played a role in plugging them into opportunities to pursue research within the community and beyond. In her role as internship coordinator within the Department of Sociology she helps students find positions with community agencies. She says it is important to show students how to hone their research skills and never stop stretching themselves through experience, especially outside of the classroom.

鈥淚 am inspired by my students, both undergraduate and graduate, who are passionate about the same things I am and that work diligently to produce quality research,鈥� she says.

Donley graduated with a doctorate degree in sociology from 麻豆原创 and has worked at the university since 2011. She became an associate professor position in the Fall 2013. Several of her publications have appeared in journals such as the Journal of Social Distress. She also co-authored the book The Homeless, with Professor Emeritus of sociology James Wright in 2011.

鈥�A sober tailgate party,鈥� says Hall.

He knows what you might be thinking: Sober tailgate party. Isn鈥檛 that an oxymoron?

鈥淭hat鈥檚 the point,鈥� says Hall, 鈥渂ecause you know who the skeptics [about not drinking on game day] are? It鈥檚 the adults, not the students.鈥�

He talked about a surprising new study that even he calls a phenomenon: The number of high schools seniors who report having drunk an alcoholic drink has decreased significantly, with more than 77.7 percent in 1991 compared to 53.3 percent in 2018.

鈥淭he idea that 鈥楨veryone in college drinks鈥� is not supported by data.鈥� – Tom Hall 鈥�16PhD,

鈥淭he idea that 鈥楨veryone in college drinks鈥� is not supported by data,鈥� says Hall, who earned his doctorate in sociology. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a misperception that鈥檚 been perpetuated only because we thought it was true 20 years ago. We have to adjust our thinking and figure out what to do with this new narrative and create new norms in line with students beliefs and behaviors.鈥�

For the past 22 years, Hall has been one of the lead authors of that revised narrative. He鈥檚 provided substance-abuse and mental-health treatment for people of all ages, and since 2004 has developed services for people with substance-use disorders at 麻豆原创, most recently as the associate director for and director of alcohol and other drug prevention services. In the process, he鈥檚 also identified the needs of college students who don鈥檛 want to imbibe.

鈥淥nly a minority of the students I see [in therapy] truly have a substance-use disorder,鈥� Hall says. 鈥淭he majority of the students I see are trying to manage social expectations. They associate positive feelings and 鈥榗utting loose鈥� with alcohol. The fun might be real, but it is not related to the alcohol. It鈥檚 the socializing 鈥� the thinking not the drinking. We have to encourage students to challenge the expectation that alcohol equates to fun, and to challenge the falsehoods so many adults have spread. Otherwise, we鈥檒l have to deal with the bigger problems of dependence and abuse.鈥�

After earning a master鈥檚 in social work from Florida State University, he went on to help start an adolescent in-patient unit at Lakeland Regional Medical Center, counseled children experiencing bereavement, and later worked in private practice treating patients with substance use disorders.

He鈥檚 spent a lifetime asking a constant question: How can we make this better?

Hall came to 麻豆原创 in 2004 to head up alcohol-abuse prevention programs after a four-year stint at a private college in Florida. There, despite stringent rules about drinking, Hall saw the truths of a 鈥渄ry campus鈥� whenever he walked by the trash cans.

鈥淚t was a 鈥榟umid鈥� campus, not dry,鈥� he says. 鈥淪imply telling students 鈥榊ou can鈥檛 drink, you can鈥檛 drink鈥� obviously wasn鈥檛 working.鈥�

So he created coalitions with students, administrators and local businesses to offer alternatives. Soon there were campus-wide barbecues and block parties, and bar owners were providing free soda, so students could socialize but not feel compelled to drink.

By tracing the dangerous problem of alcohol abuse back to its root (a so-called 鈥渟ocial norm鈥�), Hall began to do the unthinkable: change the culture. And then 麻豆原创 came calling.

鈥淚 felt like Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz: This isn鈥檛 Kansas anymore. I went from a campus of 2,000 students to one with more than 40,000, which seemed overwhelming at times. But thanks to the university鈥檚 support, we were able to scale up what worked for a small, private college to a large, public university.鈥�

The enormity reached a critical point at a tailgate party in September 2005. There, outside the Citrus Bowl (now Camping World Stadium), Hall stood 50 yards from the spot where off-duty 麻豆原创 police officer Mario Jenkins was shot. In the hours after the tragedy, Hall questioned if his work were worthwhile. He spent the rest of the weekend using yard tools to exhaust his negative thoughts on a tree stump behind his house.

At the end of the weekend, he was left with a pile of mulch and a singular thought: Focus on one student, one small win, at a time.

Hall consumed himself with research on alcohol abuse and implemented a variety of common-sense programs to address it on campus. The U.S. Department of Education recognized his work as a Model of Exemplary Practice 鈥� a rare designation that puts 麻豆原创 in limited company. Hall helped develop a curriculum to open conversations in high schools about alcohol on college campuses before students get there. He has chipped away at misperceptions with the kind of energy he used on that tree stump.

One student. One win at a time.

A student named Page, who transferred to 麻豆原创 in January 2016 and asked to remain anonymous, became a win.

鈥淲hen I looked for a new school, one of my top criteria was finding support in my recovery from a substance-abuse disorder,鈥� says Page. 鈥淚 saw right away that Tom had put 麻豆原创 at the forefront instead of shying away from it.鈥�

Page went from hanging out at the support meetings to working alongside Hall to grow the , which uses 麻豆原创鈥檚 network of resources to integrate prevention, treatment and recovery from substance use.

鈥淭om truly makes the students, not academia, his first priority,鈥� says Page. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 why it works.鈥�

Developing the CRC became part of Page鈥檚 recovery. Giving back to the community. Focusing on others. Moving everything forward. In that process, Page helped organize Sober Knights and thePoint After Dark 鈥� events for students, by students. They go bowling, play paintball, watch movies. And they meet each other at sober tailgate parties.

As Hall transitions to his new role as the director of the Orange County Drug Free Coalition, he points all attention to the data that at once baffles him and lifts him up: 40 percent of incoming freshman do not drink and do not want to drink.

鈥淭he data are encouraging,鈥� he says.

And so he鈥檚 started a new narrative. One where students recovering from substance abuse hang out with students who have never touched alcohol. One that reflects the reality of today rather than the perceived norms of 20 years ago. In this story, Page graduates from 麻豆原创, lands a great job out of state, and takes with him a willingness to engage co-workers in conversations about substance abuse.

Meanwhile, here at Hall鈥檚 alma mater, a sober tailgate party is no longer an oxymoron with a crooked question mark. It鈥檚 part of a new beginning.

Wright was a prolific writer and academic, with more than 200 journal articles, 10,000 citations and 22 books to his name. He was also recognized as a Pegasus Professor in 2013 鈥� the highest academic honor for an educator at 麻豆原创 鈥� and a Provost Distinguished Research Professor during his 17-year tenure at 麻豆原创.

But it was his civic activism that earns the warmest praise from his colleagues, including projects and consulting work that benefited organizations including Heart of Florida United Way, Second Harvest Food Bank, Coalition for the Homeless, and Orlando Housing Authority. As director of 麻豆原创鈥檚 Institute for Social and Behavioral Sciences, Wright brought in more than $1 million in funding for these projects.

鈥淗e had a huge heart and concern for others,鈥� says Elizabeth Mustaine, chair of the Department of Sociology. 鈥淗e constantly lifted up everyone he could聽鈥� helping agencies that support the neediest in our community, and helping other faculty members and students succeed. His time in the sociology department made it a much better place, an improvement that we聽expect will last for years to come.鈥�

Wright graduated from Purdue University in 1969, then pursued his master鈥檚 and doctorate in sociology from the University of Wisconsin. His academic career prior to arriving to 麻豆原创 in 2001 includes stints at the University of Massachusetts and Tulane University.

聽鈥淛im was a wonderful scholar, a person with deep concern about society鈥檚 less fortunate members, and a friend and mentor to many.鈥� 鈥� College of Sciences Dean Michael Johnson

Wright was a gifted writer, and he generously shared his talents. He published scholarly papers with 36 current or former 麻豆原创 colleagues and graduates. His recognition as 鈥淥utstanding Faculty Advisor鈥� in 2006 and again in 2014 was due largely to his commitment to mentoring: He either directed or served on the committees of approximately half the students awarded graduate degrees in sociology since the inception of the doctorate program.

Sharing his insights extended beyond campus. Wright served on many national and regional organizations, including Foundation on Violence in America and the National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty.

鈥淛im was a wonderful scholar, a person with deep concern about society鈥檚 less fortunate members, and a friend and mentor to many,鈥� says Michael Johnson, dean of the College of Sciences. 鈥淲e are fortunate that he chose to bring his talents to 麻豆原创. We will miss him sorely.鈥�

These results are published in a new 麻豆原创 study appearing in the .

鈥淚 think it鈥檚 sort of the first indications of a coming public health crisis for veterans,鈥� says Ramon Hinojosa, an assistant professor in 麻豆原创鈥檚 Department of Sociology and the study鈥檚 author. 鈥淏ecause of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, we have a relatively large, new, younger generation of veterans who are going to survive for 30 or 40 years after their war experience.鈥�

The study indicates that perhaps the 鈥渉ealthy-soldier effect鈥� is no longer guaranteed. The effect refers to the tendency for active-duty service members to be more physically fit and less overweight than same-age, nonmilitary individuals. It鈥檚 a phenomenon that Hinojosa explores in ongoing research.

鈥淭he outcome of the analysis suggested that not only does the healthy-soldier effect not seem as potent as it once was, in fact, what I see is veterans tend to have cardiovascular morbidity earlier than nonveterans, and they tend to have a greater number of conditions,鈥� Hinojosa says.

“Veterans tend to have cardiovascular morbidity earlier than nonveterans, and they tend to have a greater number of conditions.鈥� 鈥� Ramon Hinojosa, assistant sociology professor

The researcher says the change could be due to the nature of conflict in Iraq and Afghanistan, modern warfare, changing diets, changing approaches to leisure and exercise, higher rates of obesity in younger veterans than nonveterans at the same age, and higher rates of drinking, smoking and mental illness.

In light of these results, Hinojosa says it is important for health practitioners to look closely at cardiovascular health for younger veterans so they can address preventative approaches to ward off early onset of cardiovascular diseases.

鈥淚 think that being aware we sort of have the first rumblings of what seems to be a health crisis will help us focus our attention on health resources and providing younger veterans with access to resources that can help them ameliorate the likelihood of early onset cardiovascular disease,鈥� Hinojosa says.

The study used data from the National Health Interview Survey, a nationally representative health survey of individuals in the United States that鈥檚 conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention鈥檚 National Center for Health Statistics.

Hinojosa looked at five particular cardiovascular conditions reported in the survey and their association with veteran status and sociodemographic status, including age.

Responses from 153,556 individuals were used, and the study looked at pooled survey data from 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015, the most recent available data at the time.

From age 35 to about age 70, veterans reported significantly more cardiovascular conditions than nonveterans. After age 70, nonveterans reported more cardiovascular conditions than veterans.

The switch could be due to fewer veterans surviving into older age because of cardiovascular diseases, Hinojosa says.

鈥淚t鈥檚 concerning to know that the physical benefits of military service seem to be not holding as well for the younger veterans,鈥� Hinojosa says. 鈥淭his suggests the health protective benefits of military service are not what they used to be. I think that should cause us to really look at what鈥檚 going on among the veterans after they leave military service.鈥�

Hinojosa received his doctorate in sociology from the University of Florida, his master鈥檚 in sociology from the University of Illinois at Chicago and his bachelor鈥檚 in sociology from Grand Valley State University in Michigan. He joined 麻豆原创 in 2014.

The work is happening in the coastal communities of Belize,聽聽where rising sea levels are threatening homes and livelihoods. Lain Graham, a sociology Ph.D. candidate at 麻豆原创 and a solution engineer at聽Esri, has traveled to Central America with other 麻豆原创 scientists since 2016, working with local communities to find a long-term solution.

Their approach merges classic social science research with high-tech geographic information systems (GIS) to provide a聽聽It鈥檚 the experiences and perceptions of community members that provides context and value to the data gathered by drones, Graham explains.

鈥淟ocal knowledge should go hand-in-hand with technology and social science research. That鈥檚 the key to impactful change,鈥� says Graham.

The result is a rich, comprehensive picture of areas historically prone to flooding and guidance toward points where new threats could emerge. This allows community members and local officials to make informed and targeted decisions, like where to place drainage culverts or plant mangroves to guard against flooding and erosion.

While community-based research and GIS provide a window into the future for Belize, it can also point to the past. Graham鈥檚 master鈥檚 research at Georgia State University led her to an antebellum, African-American cemetery called聽Avondale Burial Place. While the area contained some grave markers, it was believed there were many more people buried in unknown locations. Finding them without unnecessary, destructive digging required high-tech solutions like ground-penetrating radar, imagery analysis and photogrammetry. These assisted archaeologists in the targeted identification, excavation and detailed documentation of burials at the site. The last step was using DNA analysis, mapping and genealogical research to connect the deceased with living descendants, many of whom had migrated north after the Civil War.

Today, Graham pursues a similar line of work as a solution engineer on the National Government Civilian and Sciences team at Esri, one of the world鈥檚 leading GIS companies. In this position she leverages her GIS and social science research experience to drive solutions for national government agencies like the Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Census and federally recognized Native American tribes.

Like her past projects, Graham goes beyond the technology and collaborates with people to fully understand and address their needs. Some of her work includes using GIS and drones for environmental monitoring and opening access to emergency services on Native American reservations.

鈥溌槎乖� is a global university and we鈥檙e working with people to address real-world problems. That鈥檚 our goal and our vision: to be a mechanism for change and to drive collaborative solutions,鈥� Graham says.

A new study from the 麻豆原创 found that although not a recommended practice, those who participate in milk-sharing networks generally follow good hygiene, which is critical for keeping milk free from bacterial contamination.

鈥淧eer milk sharing is a growing practice despite warnings from the FDA and the American Academy of Pediatrics,鈥� said Beatriz Reyes-Foster, lead author and an anthropology assistant professor. 鈥淥ur findings suggest that parents who engage in these networks are taking precautions to make sure their children don鈥檛 get sick and that鈥檚 not something we knew before this study. But there is room for improvement.鈥�

Reyes-Foster, sociology associate professor Shannon K. Carter and assistant professor Melanie Sberna Hinojosa, published their findings in this month鈥檚 edition of the Journal of Human Lactation.

The team of researchers surveyed 321 Central Florida peer milk-sharing parents who did not exchange money for milk. They asked:

The team found that 35.4 percent of recipients reported using all five safe practices and another 40.6 percent reported using at least four of the five. No recipient reported using only one or none of the safe practices. Results for donors were similar with nearly 80 percent confirming they sanitize pumps use to extract the milk.

The team also found that the behavior didn鈥檛 change even when sociodemographic characteristics did.

The research was conducted in 2014, before a Human Milk Banking Association of North America bank was established in Florida. This organization provides donors with milk-handling guidelines. The researchers suggest that the numbers may change now that the organization is in the state.

The researchers also warn that more study is needed and that the findings don鈥檛 extend to online classifieds where milk is exchanged for money. The prevalence of safety practices in those kinds of exchanges is unknown and deserves study, Reyes-Foster said.

According to a new study from the 麻豆原创, sharing breast milk is thriving today and in Central Florida it appears high income, highly educated white women are some of the people to most often use the Internet to facilitate the exchange.

Another surprise out of the study: Breast milk isn鈥檛 just being exchanged in containers.

鈥淚 was surprised by the high prevalence of overlap, where women who were donors were also recipients鈥� for their babies, said Beatriz Reyes-Foster a sociocultural anthropologist at 麻豆原创 and one of the authors of the study, which recently appeared in the journal Breastfeeding Medicine. 鈥淎nd many of them aren鈥檛 exchanging milk in containers, they鈥檙e cross-nursing.鈥�

Cross-nursing (directly breastfeeding someone else鈥檚 baby, often incorrectly referred to as wet-nursing, a professional service) seems to be a modern-day reality as well.

The popularity of breast milk may be linked to the growing number of research articles that indicate that . The children tend to be more resistant to disease early in life and less likely to contract several diseases later in life, including juvenile diabetes, multiple sclerosis, heart disease and cancer before age 15. For women who can鈥檛 produce their own milk, sharing is an alternative.

And while there has been some concern raised in the medical community that the Internet is a dangerous way to exchange milk among strangers with little or no way to guarantee the quality or safety of the milk being exchanged, the 麻豆原创 study didn鈥檛 find the exchange among strangers something that routinely happens in Central Florida. They also found that the buying and selling of milk was rare.

鈥淭he idea that women are and having it shipped through the mail was not supported by our study,鈥� said Shannon K. Carter, assistant professor of sociology and co-author on the study. 鈥淭he medical community seems to have a perception that women are buying or obtaining breast milk from anyone who will provide it and that they can find on the Internet. We found milk sharing to be a much more complex process, involving friends, friends of friends, and hybrid online/offline communities.鈥�

The 麻豆原创 team, which also included assistant professor of sociology Melanie Sberna Hinojosa, circulated surveys through Facebook to 18 Central Florida parenting communities, the and web pages, personal web pages, and the web pages of 20 professional contacts. The study is based on the responses and analysis from 392 participants.

Most of the participants in the survey were college educated with 64 percent having earned a bachelor鈥檚 degree or higher. About 47 percent of participants had household incomes above $70,000 and most women said they were unemployed. The majority of women (70 percent) had one or two children and all but one respondent had been sharing breast milk since 2010.

Alison Serra, of Orange City, knew she wanted to breastfeed her daughter because of all the benefits, but her plans to do it on her own didn鈥檛 work out.

鈥淲hen I struggled to breastfeed my daughter myself, I knew that I had to pursue the next best option,鈥� said the former substitute teacher. 鈥淢ilk sharing eased the pain of not breastfeeding my daughter for as long as I had hoped. I just had to seek out that which I knew was best for my baby.鈥�

Serra, who participated in 麻豆原创鈥檚 study, was able to give her daughter Alaina breast milk from 2012 to 2014 thanks to an exchange network. Alaina is now three-years-old and Serra is expecting her second child. She said if needed, she would again turn to milk sharing.

鈥淚t was an incredibly positive experience,鈥� she said. 鈥淭he women who shared milk with my daughter were more than happy to do so and I am so grateful for each of them. This is the power of community and technology and love.鈥�

As for the safety concerns, Serra said research is important.

鈥淚 support milk sharing communities,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 think research should focus on the safety of the practice, the unknown mechanisms at work in breast milk, and teaching safe handling and storage and donor screening.鈥�

鈥淚 enjoyed when friends came to me to tell me something 鈥� picking up on their body language and how they spoke, in combination with their personalities. It was very interesting,鈥� she says.

At age 23, Sacra already has an impressive resume, which includes a 4.0 GPA, working as a teaching assistant for several 麻豆原创 professors, participating in faculty research, being published, giving more than a half dozen presentations, racking up countless awards, being part of numerous honor societies and professional groups, and volunteering from the time she was a teen.

Her ambitions continue as she pursues her 麻豆原创 master鈥檚 degree in applied sociology, with a criminology/deviance specialization. After graduating in August 2015, she plans to keep going, to earn her third 麻豆原创 degree 鈥� a doctorate in sociology.

鈥淢y ultimate goal in my professional life is to create partnerships between research universities and law enforcement agencies to reduce crime 鈥� particularly murders,鈥� she says. 鈥淭o accomplish this, I would like to be a tenured university professor who researches crime with the intention of favorably changing public policies.鈥�

Her interest in criminology stems from true-life crime shows, like 鈥淔orensic Files,鈥� 鈥淒r. G: Medical Examiner,鈥� 鈥淒ateline NBC鈥� and 鈥淎merica鈥檚 Most Wanted.鈥� She remembers talking to her stepmother about how awesome it would be to do criminal investigations, but that interest was placed on the back burner since she had no idea how to get into the field.

鈥淣ow that I鈥檓 in sociology and study under advisors who specialize in crime, I can take my hidden passion, bring it to the forefront, and turn it into my career.鈥�

Because her successes and goals are so impressive, it鈥檚 hard to imagine the trauma she had to overcome to achieve them all.

For nearly two years of her adolescent life, she was sexually and emotionally abused by her stepfather, and emotionally abused and neglected by her mother.

鈥淲hile the abuse was going on, I had a feeling it wasn鈥檛 something 鈥榥ormal鈥� that others experienced,鈥� she explains. 鈥淏ut, I didn鈥檛 know for sure because, other than going to school, I was barricaded from the social world. My stepfather confessed to my mother that he had sexually abused me after the first incident, however, even with this knowledge and my affirmation, my mother stayed with him and continued to live life as normal.

“In November of seventh grade, my grandfather, whom I was very close with, passed away. My mother did not allow me to go to his funeral, and left me at home with my stepfather. After yet another incident with my stepfather, I decided that I was tired of living in fear. I sought peer counseling from school on the basis of my grandfather passing. After about two weeks, I confided in my peer counselor about the real truth, and the school and law enforcement took matters into their own hands from there.鈥�

Sacra鈥檚 stepfather and mother were eventually arrested, and she went to live with her father and stepmother, to whom she attributes her 鈥渢riumph.鈥�

鈥淪he was the one who started the process of removing me from my mother鈥檚 custody after she found out my mother knew about the abuse, did nothing about it, and continued to have me under her care,鈥� she explains. 鈥淪he provided the loving and supportive environment that I needed to heal and grow into the person I am today.鈥�

Q&A TIMEOUT

Q. You sound like a very busy girl! What do you do for fun?

A. For fun, I like to go to 麻豆原创 football games and watch NFL games on TV with my friends. Otherwise, I enjoy relaxing, listening to music and catching up on sleep.

Q. What music do you listen to when you want to tune out the world?

A. I have a very eclectic taste in music, so it would depend on my mood. Typically, old hip hop/R&B or old-school rap with a good amount of bass will do it. Otherwise, upbeat stuff like Reggaeton and newer hip hop.

Q. Pet peeves?

A. When people drive and do not use their turning signals. It鈥檚 the WORST!

Q. Any hidden talents?

A. Something most people don鈥檛 know is that I鈥檓 a black belt in Taekwondo.

Q. Last book you read?

A. Excluding books for class, 鈥淚 Am Malala鈥� by Malala Yousafzai. GREAT book.

Q. Favorite reality TV show?

A. 鈥淪ay Yes to the Dress!!!鈥�

Q. What movie can you quote word for word?

A. When I was younger, I would watch 鈥淗ome Alone 2,鈥� 鈥淒ennis the Menace鈥� (1993) and 鈥淗ook鈥� on repeat, so I have those down pretty well. Otherwise, I love to quote 鈥淪tepbrothers,鈥� 鈥淗ow the Grinch Stole Christmas鈥� and 鈥淭he Dark Knight.鈥�

Q. If you could eat only one food for the rest of your life, what would it be?

A. Bread in any form

Q. Most embarrassing moment?

A. One summer at Wet 鈥橬 Wild, I was with a group of my friends waiting to get on a ride. Everyone was picking on me for one reason or another. I tried to come back at them stating that I鈥檓 not that silly or clumsy. As I was talking, I walked right into a pole. It didn鈥檛 feel great, nor did it help prove my point.

Q. Do you have any regrets?

A. I really don鈥檛 have any regrets. Anything that could be regrettable, I view as learning points and therefore do not regret experiencing them.

Q. If you could learn to do anything, what would it be?

A. I would want to learn how to sing. Being a musician, I love music. I can play my heart out on my trombone or some steel drums, but if my life depended on me singing something that is remotely pleasant to the ear, you鈥檒l probably never hear from me again!

Q. What鈥檚 the happiest/proudest moment of your life so far?

A. I feel most happy when my stepmother is proud of me and what I have accomplished. She knows every struggle that I鈥檝e faced, so when she sees me conquer something meaningful, I can tell she鈥檚 proud of me, which is the greatest feeling.

Q. What advice would you give to others who are going through or who have gone through traumatic situations like yours?

A. For those who are currently going through something like this, speak up. It will probably be the most difficult thing you will do, but it鈥檚 the key to ending the nightmare. Additionally, during and after the abuse, I felt ashamed, like somehow it was my fault that the abuse occurred, or that it鈥檚 my fault my mother and stepfather went to jail. But, it wasn鈥檛 and never will be. I think that鈥檚 a very important piece of information. It鈥檚 not your fault. Although something like this is a very private and personal thing to most people, it鈥檚 nothing to be embarrassed or ashamed about. We are not victims, we are survivors.

MORE INFO

If you or someone you know is suffering from abuse, please seek help. Here are a few resources: