Monica Garcia says she was 13 years old when she stopped getting her hopes up, stopped getting excited whenever her father was up for parole.
Now 23, Monica says she'll be thrilled when her father does, one day, get out of San Quentin, but she had to get off the emotional roller coaster of high expectations, and dashed hopes.
Monica's mother met her father when he was already in prison. Still, they married, and have raised four children together.
Monica admires both of them for doing their best to raise her and her siblings under what were, to say the least, difficult circumstances. They did have help, however.
Monica also credits Project Avary for helping to make her the person she now is.
A recent Berkeley graduate, Monica is now a part-time counselor for Project Avary, an organization that, she says, opened to her eyes to the larger world around her. Most importantly, though, Avary showed her she was not alone.
To see what Project Avary is all about, watch Garvin Thomas' story above.
Local
If you would like to help Project Avary fund its annual summer camp, you can learn more here.
