Voices.

• Author: Rodriguez, Oscar

When I was 6, my parents left their home and families in Mexico and brought me here so I could have a better future.

My mom always dreamed for me to become a doctor or a teacher ...

... to be somebody important.

As I got older, I dreamed of being a comic-book artist. But my dream seemed impossible.

I fell into a depression.

I started ditching school to go skateboarding and forget about all the obstacles I couldn't overcome.

I ditched so much, I got kicked out of high school. My mom cried and my dad was sad.

It seemed like my whole world crumbled.

I realized how important it was to me and my parents that I succeed and go to school. I couldn't just give up and end up mowing lawns for the rest of my life. I pushed hard and accomplished some of my goals.

I soon graduated from a local continuation school ...

... After graduation, I got a job at a local discount store to save money for college. That was hard, but once I saved enough, I enrolled. I've been earning A's. And I started drawing for two newspapers and community organizations.

I've drawn for L.A. Youth, a teen newspaper; designed murals for both a school and a local...