This essay collection is a product of 826 Valencia’s Young Authors’ Book Project — an annual program that partners with a San Francisco high school to publish an anthology of student work. Here, students from Mission High School reflect on their beliefs and where they came from — the people who imparted them, the times when they were most necessary, and the ways in which the world has tested them. The collection is a testament to the power of personal conviction, and a powerful case for why young peoples’ voices should be heard, and believed. The collection features a foreword by Glynn Washington, host of the acclaimed Oakland-based radio show Snap Judgement.