Surviving on My Own

Meet Yelyna Reyes-Johnson, an 18-year-old Afro-Latina (her father African American, her mother Puerto Rican). On the night of her 18th birthday, a milestone most young people dream of celebrating, her world is turned upside down. Instead of cake and candles, she's handed a packed bag and the cold reality that her mother no longer wants her under her roof. The reason? Two years ago, Yelyna had a daughter out of wedlock, a choice her strict Hispanic mother has never forgiven.

Now Yelyna is forced into adulthood with no safety net. She balances working from home at a healthcare company, reviewing orders and referrals, while raising her lively toddler and trying to secure financial aid to enroll in college. With her child's father absent and disinterested, she learns quickly that survival means becoming both mother and father, provider and protector.

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