"Well, I'm not originally from here, I'm from Detroit. The West End kind of feels like home. You get the bad rap because we're the hood. To me, it just feels like home because everybody is actually nice. People are nicer than what everybody assumes, which is kind of shocking. When I moved down here, people were telling me that everybody was going to be mean and that you had to watch what you do and say. So far, everybody's been friendly. It's like one big family. That's what the West is to me, one big family and we have to remember that. If we forget, everything will go backwards. 

This year, I am aiming for spiritual and metal growth. You can't really do much if you're not mentally there and last year I kinda lost myself. I'm trying to play catch up and get myself back to me and move forward. This is year will be a push year to get to 2019 and everything will flourish then. I'm still working on a game plan and trying to figure out where I'm trying to go. I got to center myself and focus. 

Never feel like you're alone because you always have yourself, at the end of the day. You can't let yourself down no matter who is and isn't in your life. That's the main thing that I forgot. You're never alone." - Alanna, Parkland