Tim, 20

Tim was born in Washington to a mother he doesn't remember, and placed in the foster care system. He was moved down to Los Angeles and adopted when he was 8. He had a happy childhood until high school, which was when he and his parents stopped seeing eye to eye. He ended up homeless, living in a back alley under a blanket. Committed to his education, Tim would go to school every day.  His teachers had no idea of his living situation: he would "shower" at Walgreens and shoplift food from local stores. One day at school, his longtime girlfriend attacked him violently, and he pushed her to defend himself. He ended up in jail for five days and expelled from school. He reached out to the family therapist who had tried to help him and his parents get along.  He connected Tim with Jovenes, Inc. which provided emergency housing for him. Despite all his challenges, Tim never gave up on his dream of getting his high school diploma. Jovenes referred him to LAEC, and he enrolled in CBA El Sereno in November 2015. Tim says the school is "awesome" and he loves that "everyone is calm, respectful, and nice." His goal is to be a writer -- he wants to pen persuasive stories that deter people from getting involved in domestic violence.  He also wants to advocate for women who have been victimized.