i'm from e thiopia, and my family experienced poverty. because of that, i came here to get an education and better life. in ethiopia, women are not able to graduate college and go to school. conversation about sexuality and mental health are considered taboo. i thought living in america, everything would be magical and perfect, but it was not. our home, i didn't have to deal with racism, especially i didn't have to worry about being homeless. when i came to america, i experienced so much, including homelessness and racism. i was adopted by a family here in the bay area, and i got kicked out. i didn't know where to go. i was lost and confused because i didn't know anyone. a friend recommended i go to larkin street, where i got a bed, and i got a case manager. that was 1.5 years ago. since then, i got housing, and i joined larkin street youth advisory board to help bring youth's voice to the table. also, larkin helped me prepare for college and navigate the system. because of my mental health, larkin street is patient with me. they're very