Shanita

This is Shanita. She is 18 and a senior at Castlemont High School in Oakland, Calif. She's been through a lot in her young life: in and out of foster care, dealing with a mother who is addicted to crack, witnessed a lot of violence.... Despite all of this, Shanita has a very bright and energetic soul with an incredible amount of discipline and determination to succeed in life. She works as a peer counselor at her school to help other kids who have been exposed to violence. She is fully emancipated and lives in her own apartment. Photos by Alison Yin