Washington University sophomore Julian Trejo was 15 years old when his mother helped him change his surname. He was ashamed to be the son of a felon, but now feels free. In this personal and sound-rich essay, Julian reflects on his upbringing and his quest to "not become a statistic — not just another brown kid with an absent dad who went down the wrong path.” Julian is a fellow with the River City Journalism Fund and a soccer journalist in St. Louis.
