Hazel Iashmolkina

The community member I had the honor to talk to has been through a lot of things

outside of her control, but even though she might feel lost, isolated, and depressed living in the

strict rules of Visitation Homes, she is strong. She is grateful, hopeful, determined and resilient.

She knows the others in her community, the ones on similar life paths, are resilient too. She has

dreams and aspirations and knows what she needs to do to make her life her own. Like she said

at the very end of our conversation, she will get there, one step at a time.