 I came to the US at the age of 16 with $20, two pairs of pants and a shirt. It was a teacher who helped to save my life. She would stay after school with me so that I could prepare for the exam. When I came out three hours later, her and I were calling homeless shelters because I needed a place to sleep that night. So she helped to save my life and I am able to affect the lives of so many kids today because somebody did it for me. Without the sacrifice of Miss Veltran, my life could have been very different. District 7 in the South Front is the poorest congressional district in the United States. Our students come from 30 different countries and they speak 15 different languages. A lot of kids have low literacy levels. Our students are experiencing family separation, living in a new culture. And when you have communities like this, things are not changing fast enough. As a school, we were really concerned about graduation rates that were very low. And Alassane put forth this zero-period course. He created a community within a community. We would love and support each other no matter what. If you agree with this, let me see both of your hands. Good morning class! 12th graders come in one hour earlier than they normally have to for school so they can voluntarily be in that program. It is really life-changing for them. He said, if you want to come to the morning class, it's going to start at 8. When I came once, I said, I love this class. I got to come because it's transformed me. So what I wanted to do today is take 10 years from now. He mixed academics with personal development. So that's why she will feel closer to him because he gives you the trust. What I try to do with my kids is to give them positive affirmations at the beginning of every class. Once they enter that room, they have this sense of, I matter. Sometimes I feel that maybe because I'm an immigrant, maybe I won't be good enough. Those affirmations were a reminder that I have all I need to be successful outside of school. That reverberating effect, that positive effect that he has, it's thinking that this person, this human being that's learning from me today has the possibility to go to all different parts of the world. I have businesses going on. I'm a full-time student. I just want to say thank you so much for everything you have done for me. And he said, why are you thanking me? The only way you could thank me is that you do it for someone else. Since I really enjoy learning, I want to continue to society. He's inspiring the students in his class to reach goals that they may have never thought were possible for them. If you are able to save one person and then that person can pass it on, you've made a difference. And I think that that's what he wants to do. It's not about what you get in life, but rather what you leave behind. Those young people could end up transforming this world in ways that I could have never imagined. And that's what I'm hoping people could get from my story.