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People thought she would end up poor or locked up. She proved them wrong.
Liliana Flores at a park in the San Fernando Valley. "They had this image of me — and the people who are incarcerated — [that] they are just bad people," she said. "It pissed me off." After years of cycling in and out of juvenile detention, she decided to turn her life around.
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Annie Gilbertson/KPCC
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People thought she would end up poor or locked up. She proved them wrong.
Lilana Flores had the bad luck of being born into poverty and violence. She sensed people expected little of her, and as a teenager ended up in the hands of L.A. County's beleaguered foster care and probation agencies. Ultimately, Liliana decided to turn her life around.
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But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
