Ten days after the earthquake in Haiti, Laurent and his family moved to Brooklyn. The distraught around the effects of the earthquake and the uncertainty around the well-being of his friends and loved ones stayed with him, but too often young men are taught that to be masculine means to bury emotions around even the most traumatic events. Here, Laurent confronts the events of 2010, and opens up about how he has learned to cope through music.

Lynelle Rennis is the current Assistant Principal of Brooklyn College Academy. She was promoted from history teacher to the school's dean to now AP. Rennis is the founder of SmHEART girls!, a mentorship program for the girl students at the high school. The program creates a safe space for girls to communicate things they go through with their peers. It provides the girls another outlet for mentoring and education in other fields not covered in traditional lesson plans. They learn the importance of hygiene, community service and etiquette.