My name is JiLL Rebecca Houda. I am 24 years of age and will graduate from Arizona State University this May with a Bachelors degree in Fine Arts and a Minor in Sociology.

I am a native of Arizona where I was raised in both Chandler and in Gilbert.

I have recently moved close to downtown Phoenix with my boyfriend where we live in a Quonset hut from World War II.

I came across this course in the schedule of classes two days before it began. It’s very strange how things just fall into place at such unexpected times. If I wasn't feeling so incomplete that day, I may never have took another look at the schedule of classes and never would have run across SOC 332…

Strange how that works!

What I have learned most from this class is how suddenly things can change in your life and the lives of others with absolutely no warning at all. South Phoenix has by surprise, gone from old to new with so many people completely oblivious to it all. I am very grateful that I was able to learn what I did about this community and the challenges it has been recently facing.