We grew up with the foundation of a single mom, my grandparents, child support, and food stamps. In middle school, I transitioned to living in San Antonio with my dad who is Panamanian and who was married to my stepmom. Two more siblings came along and I found myself in a two-parent, relatively stable middle-class household. I learned a lot in my childhood, and something that I will always be grateful for was the opportunity to understand and live through a wide variety of circumstances. It built my empathy towards others and instilled in me a sense of gratitude for the small things in life. [...]