Student Profiles

Adolescence isn't easy it's a tough road filled with all sorts of risky possibilities, from school failure and conflict with parents to more dangerous threats like involvement in drugs and gangs.

For those who wonder if childhood adversity really can inspire remarkable achievements, look no further than Tatyana McFadden. Born with spina bifida, a neural tube defect that prevents the spinal column from closing completely, Tatyana spent the first six years of her life in a Russian orphanage.