Judith was the quintessential outcast growing up, but not because she wanted to be. It was because the other kids deemed her that with a derogatory nickname that tortured her life before she finally escaped it using a cunning trick. Here she is friendless, toxicity in her home and just wanting to be a kid... and, then suddenly the first black family in her neighborhood moves in next door... in the 70s. But, let her tell it. ► Video Timestamps: 0:00 | Judith 0:58​​ | Childhood Nicknames 3:33​​ | Describing the Neighborhood 5:00​​ | Only Child 5:48​​ | Grew up With Both Parents 9:58​​ | Relationship With Parents 11:40 | First Black Family in Neighborhood - the Porters - Moves In 14:54​​​ | Parenting Style: Similarities & Differences 16:55​ | School 21:46​ | Jr. High School Desegregation 25:56​ | Concert Choir (Favorite Childhood Moment) 28:29 | First Job: Newspaper Delivery Girl 29:31 | Childhood Rating: 7 30:47​​​ | Worst Childhood Day 33:40 | Most Impactful Childhood Events 35:05​​​ | Overall Perception 37:32​ | Giving Advice to a Younger Judith

Shanell produces a tell-all, straight from the streets of Camden, NJ's Parkside neighborhood. This girl just wanted to have fun... but, there were a few complications... ► Video Timestamps: 0:00 | Shanell 1:12​​ | Childhood Nicknames 1:20​​ | Describing the Neighborhood 2:56​​ | Grew up With Both Parents 4:37​​ | Relationship With Parents 6:05​​ | Only Child 7:52​​ | Parenting Style: Similarities & Differences 9:08​ | Schools 10:05​ | Culture Shock #1: Moving to West Philly 11:38​ | Difference Between Public and Charter School 14:44​ | Culture Shock #2: Moving Back To Philly; Gilbert Spruance & Northeast High 17:36​ | Moving Back to Camden; Camden High 20:04 | First Job: OEO - Camden County Council On Economic Opportunity, Inc.; Day Care Counselor 22:31 | Childhood Rating: 6 24:13​​​ | Worst Childhood Day 26:24​ | Favorite Childhood Day 28:11​​​ | Overall Perception 30:48​ | Giving Advice to a Younger Shanell ► Would you like an opportunity with OEO: a private, non-profit agency dedicated to serving and uplifting economically disadvantaged and moderate income individuals and families in Camden County, New Jersey since 1965!? Here's some information: https://www.camdencountyoeo.com/

DaBriah hails from East Camden, NJ and she has been through it... x1,000. Growing up she had to deal with her parents breaking up, parental drug addiction, shootouts, close friends getting shot, running away, teen pregnancy and ultimately losing a child to an extremely rare disease. She's able to tell all these stories while holding back tears. ► Video Timestamps: 0:00 | DaBriah 1:23​ | Childhood Nicknames 1:52​ | Describing the Neighborhood 5:27​ | Only Child 7:13​ | Grew up With Both Parents 8:43​ | Relationship With Parents 12:55​ | Parenting Style: Similarities & Differences 15:51 | Schools 22:47 | Running Away From Home 25:00 | Camden High School 28:37 | First Job: McDonald's 30:35 | Pregnant @ 16 36:13​​ | Childhood Rating: 5 39:06​​ | Worst Childhood Day 39:46 | Favorite Childhood Day 40:34​​ | Most Impactful Childhood Events 51:11​​ | Overall Perception 52:18 | Giving Advice to a Younger DaBriah DaBriah lost her 1-year old son, Jihad, to ► Cardiomyopathy: a disease of the heart muscle making it harder for the heart to pump blood to the rest of the body which can lead to heart failure. The main types include: 1) dilated 2) hypertrophic and 3) restrictive. ► Pediatric Cardiomyopathy: https://rarediseases.org/rare-diseases/pediatric-cardiomyopathy/ ► Cardiomyopathy Treatment: Pediatric cardiomyopathy treatment is directed toward the specific symptoms that are apparent in each individual. In Jihad's case, he was never diagnosed with it, so there was never anything done to treat it.

Monica was a fun-loving, wanting-to-read and travel kid from North Philadelphia's 23rd & Lehigh area. ► Video Timestamps: 0:00 | Monica 1:17​ | Childhood Nicknames 2:36​ | Describing the Neighborhood 10:20​ | Only Child 16:52​ | Grew up With Both Parents 18:22​ | Relationship With Father 19:25 | Father Murdered 23:00​ | Relationship With Mother 25:22​​ | Parenting Style: Similarities & Differences 37:48 | School 42:50 | Uncle Jeff 50:37 | Earrings Snatched in North Philly 1:01:04 | Northeast High School 1:14:12 | First Job: Chief City Solicitor's Office Clerk 1:17:19​​ | Worst Childhood Day 1:19:35 | Relationships With Men 1:22:05 | Favorite Childhood Day 1:23:49​​ | Overall Perception 1:25:27 | Giving Advice to a Younger Monica

Chris grew up in Philadelphia's West Oak Lane section. He makes it clear: it was not "the hood"; a little refuge from growing up in the midst of the mid-80s crack era. ► Video Timestamps: 0:00 | Christian 1:55​ | Childhood Nicknames 4:57​ | Describing the Neighborhood 13:07​ | Only Child 18:28​ | Grew up With Both Parents 20:07​ | Relationship With Parents 31:26​ | Parenting Style: Similarities & Differences 37:54 | Schools 52:11 | First Job: Morris Estate; pool monitor 53:38​​ | Childhood Rating: 8 56:50​​ | Worst Childhood Day 1:00:42 | Favorite Childhood Day 1:03:07 | What I Want To Be When I Grow Up 1:06:06​​ | Most Impactful Childhood Event 1:09:45​​ | Overall Perception 1:13:00 | Engineering Career - Needed Skills: Math, Critical Thinking 1:15:11 | Giving Advice to a Younger Christian ► Engineer: responsible for the innovation and development of new products, services, technologies and processes. They can work in many different fields, making this a diverse career for prospective engineers to explore. ► An engineer is a professional who is involved in inventing, designing and maintaining a variety of machines, structures and data systems. ► Engineers use math and science to solve problems and make use of new discoveries. While engineers don't typically make scientific discoveries themselves, they take the information from these and find practical uses for them.

Southwest/West Philly girl, Yvonna, gives it to you raw! ► Childhood: complicated. ► Sibling situation: complicated. ► Parental relationship: complicated. ► Video Timestamps: 0:00 | Yvonna 1:08​ | Childhood Nicknames 2:28​ | Describing the Neighborhood 7:25​ | Only Child 10:56​ | Grew up With Both Parents 13:02​ | Relationship With Parents 20:56​ | Grandparents 22:51 | Schools 31:25​ | Bullying 35:37 | First Job: Billies Boomer Lounge (Mice watcher) 36:40 | Love for Animals 45:47 | Skating 48:52​​ | Childhood Rating: 8 52:30​​ | Worst Childhood Day 1:05:18 | Favorite Childhood Day 1:06:54​​ | Most Impactful Childhood Event 1:08:22​​ | Growing up in a Bar: S. 52nd & Locust St. 1:10:43​​ | Overall Perception 1:11:06 | Giving Advice to a Younger Yvonna Things Yvonna Mentioned: ► Child abuse: https://cap4kids.org/philadelphia/parent-handouts/child-abuse/ --- Childline (To report child abuse): 1-800-932-0313 --- City of Philadelphia Child Protective Services - To report child abuse in Philadelphia: 215-683-6100 ► Upward Bound: [https://www2.ed.gov/programs/trioupbound/index.html] a federally funded educational program within the U.S.; one of a cluster of programs now referred to as TRiO. Upward Bound's goal is providing certain categories of high school students better opportunities for attending college: 1) those with low income, 2) those with parents who did not attend college, 3) and those living in rural areas. ► John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge at Tinicum - US Fish and Wildlife Service's National Wildlife Refuge System: [https://www.fws.gov/refuge/john_heinz/] a 1000-acre National Wildlife Refuge spanning Philadelphia and Delaware counties in Pennsylvania. Located in Tinicum Township, the refuge is adjacent to the Philadelphia International Airport.

Chrisilla grew up in Camden, NJ, receiving the short end of the stick a time or two... moved around the city quite a bit, moved out of the city, got dismissed from the church choir and didn't even get to make the donuts. She had quite the topsy-turvy childhood but cracked jokes with the best of them. We'll let her tell it. ► Part 1: https://youtu.be/6kbsTza3TaE ► Part 2: https://youtu.be/a1rNcWygw8w ► Part 3: https://youtu.be/6chpX4t2wH8 ► Follow her on IG: @chrisillad ► If you are interested in your child being part of the Camden Sophisticated Sisters:http://camdensophisticatedsisters.org/ ► Trinidad and Tobago is a dual-island Caribbean nation near Venezuela, with distinctive Creole traditions and cuisines. Trinidad is the larger and more populous. ► Grenada (Gre - nay - duh) is a Caribbean country comprising a main island, also called Grenada, and smaller surrounding islands. Dubbed the “Spice Isle,” the hilly main island is home to numerous nutmeg plantations. ► Video Timestamps: 0:00 | Chrisilla 1:10​ | Childhood Nicknames 1:58​ | Describing the Neighborhood 2:48​ | Only Child 4:38​ | Growing up in a Caribbean Household 6:44​ | Grew up With Both Parents 9:10​ | Relationship With Parents 12:09​ | Parenting Style: Similarities & Differences 14:48​ | School 17:09​ | Speaking "White" & Adapting 18:23​ | High School 21:00​ | First Job: Dunkin' Donuts 23:45​ | Pregnant at 16 25:48​​ | Childhood Rating: 7 26:25​​ | The "Thing" That Happened in Church 28:41​​ | Worst Childhood Day 30:56​​ | My Daughter: Camden Sophisticated Sisters & Dancing With the Stars 33:29​​ | Favorite Childhood Day 35:37​​ | Most Impactful Childhood Event 36:35​​ | Overall Perception 39:10​​ | Children: Better Childhood? 40:54​​ | My Child Could Have Handled My Life? 41:45​​ | Giving Advice To a Younger Chrisilla

Aaron was a fun-loving kid who grew up in Camden's Whitman Park section. Through it all, he suggested near tragedies, real tragedies and a plethora of other growing pains. In the aftermath, he became a father, coach, DJ, painter, poet, photographer, graphic artist and firefighter. ► Part 1: https://youtu.be/ufdosMXUlwo ► Part 2: https://youtu.be/HzRbCV7Tv8I ► Part 3: https://youtu.be/WawfAxdi9k0 ► Contacting Aaron - ►► DJ ►► Photography ►► Sip & Paint ►► Spoken Word Instagram: @madfacewonder or @mystercoop Twitter: @madfacewonder ► Video Timestamps: 0:00 | Aaron 1:29​ | Childhood Nicknames 2:21​ | Describing the Neighborhood 4:17​ | Only Child 6:45​ | Grew up With Both Parents 8:03​ | Relationship With Parents 12:10​ | Parenting 12:41​ | Parenting Style: Similarities & Differences 16:39​ | Schools 22:37​ | Finding High School Niche: Running Track! 25:38 | First Job: Courier Post Newspaper Subscription Selling 27:04​​ | Childhood Rating: 5 ► Worst Childhood Days (4) - Reverse Chronological Order: 28:20​​ | Worst Childhood Day #4: Track Awards 29:51​​ | Worst Childhood Day #3: Brother Drowned 31:36​​ | Worst Childhood Day #2: Cousin Shot & Killed 34:25​​ | Worst Childhood Day #1: Classmate Denise's House Firebombed 37:34​​ | Overall Perception 41:36 | Jack of Many Trades: Fireman, DJ, Graphic Arts, Visual Arts, Spoken Word, Coach 43:53 | Hosting "Sip & Paint" Nights 46:18 | Could My Child Survive My Life? 47:16 | Giving Advice to a Younger Aaron

James is from Camden, NJ's Fairview section: the hood! In his case, he grew up with both parents and a house full of siblings, including three brothers extremely close to his age. He illustrates never really having any problems in the streets, doing pretty well in school, playing sports & having a pretty pleasant childhood. Follow along as he describes it all then concludes detailing the Organizational Leadership doctorate-seeker, educator, parent and man he feels he became. ► Part 1: https://youtu.be/_8CHR0sdEeM ► Part 2: https://youtu.be/2CchSW9bI6w ► Part 3: https://youtu.be/Abpn-heDI9k ► Books by James' mother, Esther Davis-Thompson: https://www.thriftbooks.com/a/esther-davis-thompson/542028/ • MotherLove: https://www.amazon.com/MotherLove-Re-Inventing-Blessed-Future-Children/dp/1880913380 • Raising up Queens: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1880913461/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_taft_p1_i0 ► Video Timestamps: 0:00 | James 0:52​ | Childhood Nicknames 2:23​ | Describing the Neighborhood 4:32​ | Only Child 7:38​ | Grew up With Both Parents 9:54​ | Relationship With Parents 14:52​ | Early Weight Struggles 16:46​ | Bullying [Family Photograph] 18:31​ | Parenting 20:48​ | Parenting Style: Similarities & Differences 23:31​ | Schools 27:40​ | Getting Robbed @ 17 29:51 | First Job: Father's Omega Psi Phi Frat House 30:22​​ | Childhood Rating: 9 30:49​​ | Worst Childhood Day 34:48​​ | Overall Perception 37:38​​ | Favorite Childhood Day 40:18 | Favorite American State 41:09​​ | Giving Advice to a Younger James ► ORGANIZATIONAL LEADERSHIP: a management approach in which leaders help set strategic goals for the organization while motivating individuals within the group to successfully carry out assignments in service to those goals. Some of courses you might take include human resources, legal aspects of business, management principles and organizational development, public relations and persuasion. Others may include: • Team leadership • Leadership studies • Conflict negotiation • Adaptive leadership and change • Decision-making and ethics • Research for leaders. Organizations are better equipped when having people thinking strategically about the well-being of the whole. Organizational Leadership specialists are everywhere. Possible jobs include: • Human Resources • Management Consulting • Public Relations • Marketing • Government The median yearly income for HR specialists possessing an OL degree, for example, is $110,120.

Sheron is from Camden, NJ's Cramer Hill section: the hood! Yet, he grew up with both parents - pretty different from most of his peers. Rather than a childhood of utter poverty and despair, he rates his childhood based on all the things and events he experienced. He encompasses all of it into how he "knows how to move" to this day! ► Part 1: https://youtu.be/-3Zn6xXAjSg ► Part 2: https://youtu.be/06kZimpJJAc ► Part 3: https://youtu.be/Q1QwDeHad_U ► Video Timestamps: 0:00 | Sheron 1:32 | Childhood Nicknames 2:30 | Describing the Neighborhood 5:40 | Only Child 7:25 | Grew up With Both Parents 10:05 | Relationship With Parents 13:01 | Cramer Elementary School 14:32 | The Fruit Posse 17:11 | Sharp Elementary & a "People Epiphany": Bully Energy 20:43 | Vets Middle School, Hip-Hop, Basketball & Track 29:06 | High School, Using Music for Memories & Staying Out of Trouble 34:18 | Family Moves From Camden to Glassboro, NJ 37:27 | First Job: McDonald's 38:02​ | Childhood Rating: 10 39:04​ | Overall Perception 39:39​ | Worst Childhood Day 40:28​ | Favorite Childhood Day 41:44​ | Most Impactful Childhood Event 44:23​ | Who I Am Today 45:33​ | Parenting Style: Similarities & Differences 46:04​ | Giving Advice to a Younger Sheron

You don't know someone's life. We have no idea what goes on behind closed doors, especially when people have advantages over others. Behind those doors, La' Toya went through some things... things no child should have to endure... ever. ► Video Timestamps: 0:00 | La' Toya 1:04 | Childhood Nicknames 3:23 | Describing the Neighborhood 4:28 | Only Child 5:58 | Grew up With Both Parents 6:19 | Relationship With Parents 7:49​ | Parenting Style: Similarities & Differences 9:26 | Clymer Elementary School 11:40 | Elverson Middle School 12:54 | William Penn High School 19:17 | Simon Gratz High School 20:31 | Dropping Out & Homelessness 22:33​ | Worst Childhood Day (WCD) 28:19 | WCD: After-effects 29:31​ | Childhood Rating: 0 31:08​ | Initial Living "Outside" 32:34​ | Alfred: Best Friend 35:34 | 5 Months in Sister's Husband's Truck 36:41​ | Mrs. Kia 39:55​​ | Favorite Childhood Day 40:12​​ | Overall Perception 41:19​ | Giving Advice to a Younger La' Toya

Annie grew up in Camden, NJ's Parkside section. View as she orates both disastrous and happy childhood events. After becoming a parent herself, she admonished that her childhood is a direct reflection of her parenting. After experiencing all she has, she still keeps a smile on her face. How? Let her tell it... ► Annie's Favorite Book Growing Up, "The Coldest Winter Ever": https://www.amazon.com/Coldest-Winter-Ever-Sister-Souljah-ebook/dp/B004CLYLAI ► Video Timestamps: 0:00 | Annie 1:03 | Childhood Nicknames 1:26 | Describing the Neighborhood(s) 2:18 | Only Child 3:14 | Grew up With Both Parents 6:06 | Relationship With Parents 11:03​ | Parenting Style: Similarities & Differences 13:15 | Seven Elementary Schools, Foster Care & Grandmom Rose 20:55 | High School 22:02 | First Job: Taco Bell 23:50 | College 25:05​ | Childhood Rating: 6 26:47 | Reader: room; people; books 28:21​ | Worst Childhood Day 29:20​ | Favorite Childhood Day 29:42​ | Most Impactful Childhood Event 31:46​ | Overall Perception 34:10​ | Giving Advice to a Younger Annie

Traneka grew up in Camden, NJ's Polock section, officially titled Whitman Park. Watch as she guides you through "the 'hood," acknowledging she wanted so much better for her kids; the things she considered normal - cats getting shot right in front of her, drug dealers getting busy out in the open, moving around a lot and being the built-in babysitter, her kids would not if she had anything to do with it. ► Video Timestamps: 0:00 | Traneka 1:27 | Childhood Nicknames 2:18 | Describing the Neighborhood 4:32 | Only Child 6:33 | Grew up With Both Parents 7:31 | Relationship With Parents 10:34 | Elementary School - Polock, Downtown, East Camden 14:04 | First Job: Ellis Island 15:32 | Church & Middle School - Parkside 18:02 | High School 21:43 | Childhood Rating: 8 23:59 | Guy Shot Directly in Front of Her 25:04​ | Parenting Style: Similarities & Differences 31:40​ | Worst Childhood Day 34:20​ | Favorite Childhood Day 37:13​ | Most Impactful Childhood Events 39:20​ | Overall Perception 42:18​ | Giving Advice to a Younger Traneka

Rayvon is a jack of all trades... model, boxer, personal trainer, baller... dude goes hard. And, it all stems from all the moves he had to make growing up in Wilmington, DE & a few other places.... It was not a game. And, he didn't forget. Need a personal trainer near Wilmington, DE? Contact him on Instagram: @baaladon ► Video Timestamps: 0:00 | Rayvon 1:14 | Childhood Nicknames 2:31 | Describing the Neighborhood 4:14 | Grew up With Both Parents 5:39 | Raising Little Brother 6:33 | Relationship With Parents 8:10 | Trayvon Martin 8:34 | Traits Received From Parents 9:46 | Starting School 11:55 | Beefing With Teacher Over Pencil-holding 13:42 | Middle School Bullying 17:10 | Basketball Beginnings 17:55 | Jack of All Trades (Modeling, Personal Trainer, Male Entertainer, Boxer) 18:36 | High School: William Penn 19:39 | First Job: McDonald's 20:45 | Run-ins With the Law 21:24 | Childhood Rating: 10 23:24 | Parenting Style: Similarities & Differences 25:50​ | Worst Childhood Day 27:56​ | Favorite Childhood Day 28:49​ | Most Impactful Childhood Events 29:52​ | Moving From Wilmington, Delaware to Minot, North Dakota 34:45​ | Comparing Delaware, North Dakota, Illinois & California 37:40 | Favorite Place Traveled 38:05 | Overall Childhood Perception 40:30​ | Kids' Childhood vs. My Childhood 41:55 | Story Behind the Tattoos 40:31​ | Giving Advice to a Younger Rayvon

Tamara experienced a lot growing up in Frankford... and Germantown... and West Oak Lane... and Atlanta... and back "Down the Way." She discusses her Frankford neighborhood, her relationship with her mother, living in and out of shelters & 80s fashion. Next, she gets into her family dynamic and what led her to being able to adapt to any situation. She and her mom stayed in shelters, for example. Life was rough but she handled her handle. Finally, she covers how she used to play "corny" cats in her 20s but reflects that some of them were good dudes who probably would have stuck by her. The strong mother she was, she went hard attempting to shield her children from similar childhood experiences, preparing them for the world with which they'd soon be introduced. She became a writer, authoring two books! Check them out here: ► Tears of an Only Child: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1086882563/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_58R461FV9KH9T46E17G4 ► Falling in Love With the Devil: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B086JHL729/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_CJW22BSPDFJJ0H1XV9ZZ ► Video Timestamps: 0:00 | Tamara 1:09 | Childhood Nicknames 4:06 | Describing the Neighborhood 5:47 | Only Child 6:34 | Grew up With Both Parents 8:33 | Relationship With Parents 10:00 | Learning About Other Philadelphia Areas 12:09 | Affected by Dad Not Being There 13:32 | Schools 18:00 | Moves To Atlanta, GA 23:54 | Germantown vs. Frankford 25:24 | Shelter Experience 27:05 | First Job: The Penny Shoe Store 27:52 | Childhood Rating: 9 29:20 | My Kids Could Have Lived My Life? 29:58 | Parenting Style: Similarities & Differences 32:24 | Worst Childhood Day 33:31 | Favorite Childhood Day 36:35 | Most Impactful Childhood Events 38:19 | Overall Childhood Perception 40:31 | Giving Advice to a Younger Tamara