Tina was not like many of her friends. She didn't listen to pop music, but her friends liked rock and pop music. When Tina asked her friends to try classical music, they all looked at her strangely. "Classical music is for old people," they said. Tina was worried if something was wrong with her.

Tina decided to talk to her father. In the study(书房), asked her father, “Dad, am I strange?”"Of course not,”he answered. "Why do you ask that?”"Because I don't like the same things as my friends do. They want to listen to Mariah Carey's music. I like Yo Yo ma's.”" I can understand. Tina, it's all right to be your own person. You don't have to copy(模仿) what other people do. Everybody has different tastes.”After talking with her father, Tina felt better. She realized that doing different made her special. It was an important lesson for her to learn.

    Rene was born in an Indian village in Oaxaca, Mexicon. His family lived in a small house. They spoke an Indian language. Rene started school in the village when he was six years old. There was no school for older children in the village. So Rene went to Oaxaca City when he was nine years old. This was a big step for Rene. It was his first time in a city.

    Little Rene got a job in the city. He worked for a rich family. He took care of their big house. He worked during the day, and he went to school at night. He learned good work and study habits. He learned Spanish, and he grew up.

    When Rene was thirteen years old, he returned to his village. He had many brothers and sisters. His mother needed help. Rene felt bad. He could not go to high school.

    When Rene was twenty years old, he took a very big step. He went to Los Angeles. He worked as a cook. He took English classes in his spare time. Then he went to university. He studied very hard.

    Today, Rene teaches English. He tells his students," Learning English is not so hard. Having good habits is the most important thing! Be organized. Use your time well. Have a good time!"

    Alice was a student in a secondary school. The school was on the other side of the street from my house. Every day. I watched her play basketball after school from my house. She played very well, much better than any other of her classmates. And she never stopped. She practised over and over again, sometimes until it was very dark.

    One day, I asked her, "why do you practise so hard? You are playing very well."

    "That's because I want to play in the city basketball team," she looked at me and said proudly. "But I'm still not good enough. I must work hard." I was moved by her great courage.

    Another day, I saw her crying on the grass, instead of playing basketball. I walked across the street and sat down by her side.

    "Why are you crying, girl?" I asked.

    "The coach of the city basketball team told me that I couldn't go on playing basketball because I was too short."

    But some days later, I saw her playing basketball again, practising even harder than before. I was curious(好奇的) and asked her the reason. "My father told me if my dream is big enough, nothing can stop me." I was moved again.

Face—to—face with the New Me

    Jessica's mother noticed Jessica hadn't returned to the dentist waiting room just before her surgery was supposed to start. She walked to the bathroom and found Jessica in here, crying. She took her daughter into her arms. "We're going to say goodbye to the old Jessica," she said. "And hi to the new Jessica."

    Jessica, from St Louis. US, had been wishing for this day since high school, when the bullying about her started. Now that it was finally happening, she was nervous.

    It was a social—media post two months ago that got her here. Someone posted a photo of Jessica with a comment about her overbite. The post was shared many times, with many people making mean remarks about her appearance.

    The bullies didn't know the road Jessica had traveled. She underwent nine operations on her ears from age 2 to 12 years old. She was almost deaf in her right ear. Her adult teeth didn't start coining in until she was 11 or 12, and doctors couldn't figure out why they were pushed outward. It got worse as she got older. Jessica had been trying for years to get her teeth fixed, but it was always too costly.

    When her story got out, Maryann Udy, a dentist, got in contact with Jessica and offered her a new smile—free of charge. The surgery was long and complicated It took several months before Jessica's new smile was ready.

    Later that year, she looked at her old photos online and smiled. "I loved her," she said. She's grateful to be in less pain, to be on the path to a new smile. Sometimes, though, it feels like something is missing from who she was.

    Still, she loves taking selfies and admiring her new appearance. "I looked good before," she said. "I look even better now."