It’s hard not to talk about Jonathan and Justin in the same sentence. Plagued by chaos, upheaval and parental absence, they are the only stabilizing force in each other’s life. Their father abandoned them when they were two and their mom was left with the responsibility of raising four children. She had a nervous breakdown when the twins were 12 years old and was sent to a mental institution. Jonathan and Justin were placed into foster care before eventually being reunited with their mother. For the next several years they moved from coast-to-coast with little money. Food was scarce, they were often hungry, they lived in shelters and in the projects, and once in a car. Now too old for foster care, Jonathan and Justin are living on their own in Oakland supporting themselves. They volunteer at Children’s Hospital of Oakland, an animal shelter, FACES for the Future, Summer Search, and serve as tutors and camp counselors for middle school students. They will both be the first in their family to go to college and they both aspire to go into the medical profession. Each with a 3.6 GPA, Jonathan’s top choices are Howard University, Morehouse College, and Tufts University; Justin’s top choices are Tufts University, UC Berkeley, and Morehouse College.

(photos - Jonathan above; Justin below)

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