For Armonte Patton, the joyful May graduation day stood in stark contrast to a somber August day that set his life on a spiral four years ago. “My grandma passed away,” he told the graduating class of Mission View Charter School during his commencement speech. “It happened when I was at football practice. The pain really brought me down.” Armonte’s grandmother had been his guardian, raising him for years. Since his mother was addicted to drugs, Armonte moved in with his father, who was often in and out of jail. Depressed, Armonte started hanging out with the wrong crowd, and he even lost...
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