RICHARD I was raised here, in a Puerto Rican family. They came from Puerto Rico.
I’m focused to graduate and get to college. I got to go to school every day and get my work done - Stay after, get extra help. Some teachers think I’m like other My early life was complicated. I had to choose kids who don’t come to school and don’t do work. between who to live with: My grandma or my mom. But sometimes I take care of my grandma. Sometimes That’s probably the hardest decision I ever made. the bus don’t come because of the weather. I get And childhood life was basically just-- I basically got judged. Some days, I don’t like to go outside the everything I needed. I still got to see my mama. You house a lot because for me, when I walk out there know, she didn’t live far away, honestly. To this day, she I’m not safe. Yesterday, there was three gunshots in only live two blocks away from me, so I can just hang front of the crib. And I was like, that could have hit with her. My grandma, mom and aunt raised me to be anybody, honestly. It can happen today when I walk the man I am today. My stepdad’s important to me out to wait for the bus. I said, I gotta go to school too because of the words he’s told me. On New Years, to do this for my grandma. But I felt traumatized. he said, “I want you to go to college. I want to be a cheerleader for you. When you go to college and play The most memorable moment I can recall in the big leagues, I want to be in the front row.” That was the first time I went to Puerto Rico to visit really touched me. He’s an important person to me. my Grandma’s side of the family. It was amazing just to see who my grandma was raised with, My family is my community. I just want to get and just realizing what she went through, and the out of here, make them proud and get them what house where they was raised in. It was emotional, they deserve like what they gave me. I climbed the because it was like I was reuniting with them. hardest challenges I have had in my life. I came through it. I have a lot of support. My mama tells I would like the world to know that to this day, me she loves me - she never gives up on me, even I’m not going to give up on things. I’m not going to though the custody went to my Grandma. I know stop. If there is a brick wall, I’m going to try to break I really got somebody that cares for me. I am truly through. And by 2022, y’all probably see me in the thankful for her - for my family. Look at me, I am major leagues hitting home runs. I am accomplished. still in school and they are a major reason. Im passing high school and when I graduate I will be the first person in my family. I’m waiting for the graduation so I can get a photo with them.