5: Cole: Making Money, Making Sense

Standing a lanky six feet tall, eighteen year old Cole has bright blue eyes and strawberry blond hair, cut very short. In grey hoodie and jeans, he greets me with a confident handshake and a wide smile. He possesses an uncommon ease with adults. Cole’s personal biography, including a turbulent family life and multiple moves, combined with his sharp intellect have given way to a young person who is profoundly self-reliant and socially savvy. Cole learned at a young age that he needed to fend for himself, and he’s been remarkably successful at doing so for years.

Cole came to Comprehensive High as a “new kid” in eleventh grade. In spite of entering a milieu with already established groups, Cole had no problem making friends: