To this day, I'm still pinching myself.

In Latino culture, the quinceañera's a big thing -- it's when a girl becomes a woman. But I think age is just a number -- you become a woman with the responsibilities you take on and the decisions you make. I started realizing that every day is a gift -- you have every day to be thankful you're alive.

When I was young, I thought it was normal to go to sleep to the sounds of sirens. People on my block were in the biggest gang in the city. They were my close friends -- they showed me the ropes, who to watch out for. There, in El Monte, it's like one big home for everybody -- you kind of get intimidated, but they're the nicest people. In West Covina, they can treat a person like complete shit, like you're a dog.