2023 Photojournalist of the Year, Small Market

Janel Rodriguez is comforted by her husband Brandon Dunn, each holding one of their two youngest children, as she reaches into the golden urn she and her husband, selected, to hold the remains of her late 15 year old son, Noah Rodriguez on September 8. Noah died just weeks earlier, on August 21 of a drug overdose while at a friends house. Noah is the 4th teen to die of an overdose in Hill Country in recent weeks. Rodriguez and Dunn chose the gold urn because they thought it was the one Noah would have liked best. “Its flashy, just like he was,” Rodriguez said.

Breshna Shah laughs as her sister, Palwa Shah tries to catch goldfish crackers in her mouth. The sisters were playing in front of a missing sign for Lina Sardar Khil who has been missing for two months. Sunday, February 20 would have been her 4th birthday so members of the Afghan community gathered in the family’s apartment complex to pray for her return and remember her.

Tears stream down Avery Biggs’ face at a memorial for the 160 people experiencing homelessness who died in San Antonio in 2022. Briggs, 32, who is also unhoused was moved by the event and stood quietly by himself, among the shoes laid out for each individual who died, taking it all in. Briggs said he was sad as he made his way slowly through each row of shoes at Milam Park, reading each name. The memorial is held every year on December 21.

Janet Santos comforts her partner, Jose Rodriguez while her dog, Bella Wella Woo sits patiently on the walker they use to push their belongings. Living on streets is already a difficult feat, but this summer in San Antonio as temperatures stayed in the triple digits for most of July, it was almost unbearable. When a torrential downpour came on the afternoon of June 27, Jose procured two ponchos for them. They spent the evening wandering, looking for places to stay dry. As they stood under an awning downtown Jose broke down in tears from exhaustion, upset he could not provide a better life for Janet than the streets.

Kryslyn Stanley is learning how to be a single mother after leaving her partner, and father of her youngest daughter, Nyx due to domestic violence. Their relationship had become toxic and emotionally abusive, but when she was given a black eye in August, Stanley decided she was finished. She found the strength to leave him and get a protective order for her and her two daughters. Stanley and her daughters, Nyx and Sylyn, were able to stay at a Motel 6 with city money earmarked for residents of her apartment complex who didn’t have working air-conditioning in record Texas heat. This gave Kryslyn time and space to recover while her ex moved his things out of her place.
Stanley has had to put off dealing with her trauma from the relationship while she helps her daughters heal. Her ex, who has been tracking her locations through her I-phone, will show up at random places out of the blue, further traumatizing their daughter, Nyx. Nyx has been acting out with violent tantrums while Kryslyn patiently explains to her that it is OK for her to feel big things but she must control her actions. Stanley is worried about the long term impacts of this experience on her daughters, but is working hard to ensure her daughters both feel safe and have the space to work through their emotions.

Kryslyn Stanley tells her daughters, Sylyn and Nyx, to be patient while she tries to open the door to their room at the Motel 6 on July 13, 2022. The girls were cold and wet after swimming and looking forward to a “spa night” Kryslyn had planned. The family was staying at the Motel 6 with money District 7 Councilwoman Ana Sandoval had donated to residents of the apartment complex where Kryslyn lives in due to lack of safe conditions.

Kryslyn Stanley puts her earrings in, unable to avoid seeing her black eye in the mirror on August 2. Her daughter, Nyx, angrily pouts saying she wants to go to the pool at the Motel 6 where they are staying. Stanley was trying to get out the door to file a police report on her ex, Nyx’s father, for the black eye he gave her the day before. Nyx has been picking up on her mom’s stress and has been acting out and throwing tantrums. The trauma of the abuse has been taking its toll on both mother and daughter as Stanley tries to hold everything together for her children.

On August 12, less than two weeks after her ex gave her a black eye, Kryslyn Stanley changes the lock on her apartment door, so her ex can no longer use a key to get in. Stanley had to break in from the balcony because her ex had bolted the door shut from the inside and then climbed out a window. Something he had been doing since she left him. Stanley was already staying at a Motel 6 because of conditions at her apartment. In her absence her ex had stolen her things, and brought multiple people to her apartment to do drugs.
Stanley had to work extra hours doing delivery driving to have enough money to buy the new lock and a screwdriver to change it.

Kryslyn Stanley sits outside her Motel 6 room talking to a San Antonio Police Department detective about the police report she filed on her ex, while her daughter, Nyx, pokes her head out the door listening in, on August 4. Stanley was already situated at the Motel 6, she and other tenants at her apartment complex were given funding to stay there by the city of San Antonio because their air conditioning was not working while temperatures topped out in the triple digits.
Staying at the Motel had been a huge blessing for Stanley, allowing her to escape deplorable conditions in her apartment at Seven Oaks, but also giving her space from her ex while he moved his stuff from her apartment. It did limit privacy and made it harder to have sensitive conversations with her young daughters overhearing.

Kryslyn Stanley laughs as her daughter, Nyx, pushes back on her as she playfully wakes her up sining “Wake up Nyx-Optomus,” August 5, 2021. Nyx has never been a morning person and getting her out of bed is difficult on normal days. But these have not been normal days for Stanley and her daughter. Days before she left Nyx’s father after he gave her a black eye. Both mother and daughter have been dealing with the trauma in different ways. Nyx has been throwing tantrums and aggressively head butting her mother when she doesn’t get her way. Stanley has been patiently working with her daughter, trying to be fun and silly to keep her happy even though she is struggling with the aftermath of the abuse herself.

A tear falls down Sylyn MurphyÕs cheek as she and her mom reminisce while staying at the Motel 6 in July. The room was paid for by the city because their air-conditioning in their apartment wasnÕt working and San Antonio was facing record hot summer. Moving to the motel wasnÕt the only difficult thing for Murphy over the summer. Sylyn had been witnessing her mom begin to fight back while in a toxic relationship with her younger sisterÕs father.

Kryslyn Stanley is good a making chores fun for her daughters. Stanley who has been washing her clothes in her Motel 6 bathtub to save money has her daughter, Nyx step on the clothes with her to help get the soap to bubble, August 6, 2022. The distraction worked for a few minutes, and Nyx was able to laugh with her mom. The pair were just days after Stanley was given a black eye from Nyx’s father. Nyx has not been handling the abuse and absence of her father well, forcing Stanley to put her trauma to the side to care for her daughter.

Kryslyn Stanley watches her 9 year old daughter, Sylyn play in the swimming pool at a Motel 6. Sylyn was with her father when Kryslyn received a black eye from her partner, but she had been witnessing the emotional abuse he inflicted on her mom for years. Stanley had Sylyn stay with her father for an extra week in hopes she would not have to see the results of the abuse. The black eye lasted longer than the extra week apart.

With her black eye still very visible, Kryslyn Stanley drops her youngest daughter, Nyx off for her first day of school, August 15. What should have been a fun day was instead filled with stress. Since Stanley received the black eye from Nyx’s father, Nyx has been acting out, throwing tantrums and head butting her mom. After dropping Nyx off in her classroom, Stanley had to go to the office to alert the front desk to the Protective Order she took out on Nyx’s father to ensure he could not pick Nyx up from school. Her older daughter, Sylyn patiently waited, always staying close to her mom.

Kryslyn Stanley, watches over her daughter, Nyx, while they ride the bus home from school and the grocery store, September 20. Stanley was forced to use the bus system after her car was repossessed. This meant she was unable to earn money doing delivery driving, putting her further behind in getting back on her feet after leaving her ex, Nyx’s father. Nyx, who is 4, has been missing her father and not fully understanding why he isn’t in her life anymore. Kryslyn has had to put her own healing on hold while she cares for her daughters.

Nyx Statton begins to calm down after throwing a tantrum on the floor before going to a Trunk-or-Treat event with her mom and sister on October 29. Her mom, Kryslyn Stanley, calm extends her hands to help Nyx up. Nyx has been on a hair trigger since her mom ended her relationship with her father due to domestic violence. Nyx is having a hard time understanding why her dad is gone, and as soon as she starts to improve, he randomly shows up at the house, traumatizing her all over again. Earlier that morning he had left things on their front porch that Nyx saw before her mom could clear it out. Her mom is trying her best to walk the line of letting Nyx get her feelings out while keeping her behavior in check. After her tantrum, Kryslyn led her to the bedroom where she laid her daughter down, rubbing her back until the crying stopped completely. It is Kryslyn’s belief Nyx is worried of losing her and her sister the way she lost her dad, causing her to act out.

Kryslyn Stanley laughs and hugs her youngest daughter, Nyx, trying to get her to lay down next her older daughter, Sylyn and go to sleep. Both girls have been extra clingy with their mom since she left Nyx’s father and put the abusive relationship behind her. The girls have been sleeping in bed with Stanley since they moved back to the apartment. Stanley doesn’t let them sleep in their bedroom out of fear that her ex could break in through the sliding door that leads to their room. On the headboard of her bed Stanley wrote “Unless Kryslyn personally invited you to this bed, you are not welcome. Children play and sleep here.” This was written during the last months of her toxic relationship and Kryslyn plans on painting over it to help her heal.

Breydan Gonzales grew up in the foster system. By the time he met Brenda and Rey Gonzales, his adoptive parents, he was living in a group home, one of the kids deemed un-adoptable due to bad behavior. He was aggressive and a bully. In second grade he met Brenda Gonzales, his elementary school principal. She asked what she asked all the kids from the group home who attended her school, “What do you want? What are your goals for school year” Breydan answered “I want a family.” This response broke Brenda’s heart. She called her husband, Rey, asking him to come meet Breydan. The two clicked right away and the couple decided to adopt Breydan. Breydan came to live with them and began to open up and soften his hard exterior. But when he had a tough day, or got into a fight with his new parents he would hang his head low and ask “Its time for me to go back to the group home isn’t it?” His parents had to reassure him over and over that he was home. Finally 3 years later he believes it. Breydan, who chose his new name to be a combination of his parents, Brenda and Rey, is a completely different kid than the one they first brought into their home. He is warm and talkative, and loves to read. He is helpful and curious and quick to laugh and give hugs. His lack of a filter still gets him into trouble at school, and his parents are still working on some behavioral issues. But Breydan’s life today is one full of hope and love, as his past life becomes more distant each day.

Breydan Gonzales talks non stop with his father, Rey Gonzales while gets his hair cut for the first day of school, August 13, 2021. The only request he had of his adoptive parents, Brenda and Rey Gonzales, was that he would have autonomy over his hair. For years while he was living in the group home his hair was cut short without his input. In the years since being adopted he has tried many hairstyles. The weekend before his first day of 5th grade he was excited to try a flattop. His parents, who are Latino, have had to reach out to friends to learn how to help Breydan care for his various hairstyles.

Rey Gonzales holds up a shirt and shorts for Breydan as they try and pick put his outfit for the first day of school on August 15, 2021. This year Breydan will be in 5th grade, his last year at Pearce Elementary where his mom is the principal. Rey loves being a father to Breydan and often jokes that they are exactly alike even though they aren’t related by blood.

Brenda and Rey Gonzales team up on their son Breydan for an impromptu basketball game in their driveway on March 4, 2022. Rey playfully holds Breydan back so his wife can make a basket. When Brenda and Ray Gonzales adopted Breydan, he opted to change his named to Breydan, which is a combination of his news parents names. He made his middles name Pearce, the name of the elementary school where he met his mom, who is also the principal.

Tired during a night out for his birthday celebration at Magic Time Machine, Breydan Gonzales rests his head on his mom, Brenda’s shoulder while she laughs with family members who came out for the party.

Rey Gonzales teases his son Breydan with his stuffed Kermit the Frog before sending him to bed the night before his first day of school on August 15, 2021. Breydan carries Kermit with him everywhere. Breydan spent a good portion of his life in a group home before being adopted, which has put him behind socially. Breydan, who is starting 5th grade get embarrassed when classmates make fun of Kermit, so he has decided to leave him at home on his first day of school. Breydan is attached to Kermit because while he was in the group home he never had a stuffed animal.

Breydan Gonzales walks with his classmates down the hall at the end of the school day at Pearce Elementary, October 29, 2021. Just three years ago Breydan, who was living in a group home at the time, was so aggressive none of the kids at school wanted to be his friend. After being adopted by his principal and her husband, Breydan has begun to put his guard down and show his softer side to the world.

Breydan Gonzales acts out in class by dancing and cheering loudly after answering questions correctly, annoying his classmates after the first few times. Its March 2022, and with most of the school year finished, his behavior in class has still not improved. Gonzales was adopted while living in a group home and attending Pearce Elementary, where his mom is principal. Breydan is behind socially because of his background and often has a hard time controlling his behavior.

Frustrated, Rey and Brenda Gonzales talk with their son, Breydan, again, about his behavior in school, February 9, 2022. Breydan was adopted while living in a group home and attending Pearce Elementary, where his mom is principal. Breydan is behind socially because of his background and often has a hard time controlling his behavior.

Every night the Gonzales family holds hands while gathered around their table and pray before dinner. The family has a lot to be thankful for. Breydan was adopted just three years prior when he met his mom, Brenda who is the principal of his elementary school. August 30, 2021.

Breydan Gonzales takes a break from reading by covering his face with the book and taking a nap. Breydan loves to read adventure books, but slows down when they are books to earn AR points at school.

Breydan Gonzales tries to keep Ellie from jumping into the soapy water where her sister, Luna is getting a bath in March 2022. Breydan and his family were only planning on fostering the puppies but after the first night decided to keep them. Rey Gonzales, Breydan’s father has been insistent that Breydan learn how to care for the dogs himself.

Rey Gonzales jumps and cheers with joy and excitement as his son Breydan wins an award for perfect attendance at his 5th grade graduation ceremony, June 1, 2022. Rey later joked he wasn’t sure if he was more proud of his son or excited for the drone he won with his perfect attendance. The ceremony was bittersweet for the whole family though. It was Breydan’s last year in elementary school where his mom is principal. Breydan has had to work hard on overcoming a lot of behavioral issues to be ready for middle school. Breydan was in foster care and group homes for many years which caused him to constantly act out.

Tenants at the Seven Oaks Apartments, located on San AntonioÕs West side (now renamed Colinas at Medical) have lived with mold caused by leaky roofs and plumbing, rats, cockroaches, nonfunctional laundry facilities billing problems and crime. Many tenants did not have working air-conditioning during a summer where temperatures were consistently in the triple digits.They said problems went unaddressed or got Band-Aid fixes only to reoccur soon after. With the help of Texas Organizing Project (TOP), tenants banded together to form a tenants union and demand changes together. They organized protests in Austin at the offices of the property ownersÕ offices, got the attention of city council to talk about changing laws in the city, all while continuing to live in deplorable conditions.

Amanda Williams folds laundry while her daughter, Charlotte, plays in moving boxes in June. Williams and her husband Kaleob Williams have been slowly packing their belongings after receiving a letter to vacate from the property management of Seven Oaks. Many of the tenants of Seven Oaks received the same letter to vacate in an effort by property owner, James Kandisamy to Òchange the demographic of the property.Ó
The Williams have had many problems since moving into the apartment complex, including mold so bad it was making their special needs children sick. After their nurses intervened they were able to get the carpet in the childrenÕs room changed. They continue to live in limbo, half of their belongings packed in boxes in case they get an official eviction notice.

Frustrated and hot, Debra Watts wipes sweat from her face after another disappointing call looking for a new apartment July 7. Most apartments with openings do not accept housing vouchers, which Watts relies on. Watts’s air conditioning hasn’t worked in weeks and as temperatures stay in the triple digits she worries about her underlying health conditions and the wellbeing of her dog, Baby. Watts lives in the Seven Oaks apartment complex and like most residents in the complex, she has received a notice to vacate. Watts has become an active member of the tenants union she and other residents started with the help of Texas Organizing Project.

Seven Oaks resident, Claudia Nega, speaks with the San Antonio Police Department after calling them to issue a complaint on the apartments complex’s maintenance worker on July 20. Nega alleges that he became aggressive and she felt threatened when he came to check on her air conditioning unit. Nega says she had to turn it off because it was not fixed correctly and was causing her breaker to switch off an on and she was afraid a fire would start or her refrigerator holding her insulin would break. Nega and other residents have had trouble getting work orders on their apartments filled by the management office and formed a tenants union so they could face off against the property owners as a collective.

Reynaldo “Florida” Barrientos holds his friend’s grandson, Aprii, while his son, Dee’andree tries to get his attention in July. Barrientos and his friend, Twonya Mondy (not pictured) both live in Seven Oaks and neither one has had working air conditioning for weeks. To try and compensate Mondy has hung black curtains over her windows and has multiple fans going at all times. As temperatures reach triple digits daily these measures do little to quell the heat and Barrientos, Mondy and other Seven Oaks tenants are left sweltering in their apartments.

ZhiÕRia Cook, 23, stands in the middle of her Seven Oaks bedroom as water pours out of every fixture flooding her entire apartment on July 24. Cook had been complaining to the management office for months about water leaks throughout her apartment but nothing was ever fixed. Cook salvaged what she could, but most of her belongings were ruined by the water including the bed she had saved to buy and toys belonging to her young son. This apartment was CookÕs first time she was able to live alone and support herself. Her son was not living with her at the time of the flooding because she felt the roach infestation and mold were too dangerous for a 3 year old.

Twonya Mondy, a resident of Seven Oaks, writes “Where are you when we need you?” on a giant poster of San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg. The tenants had invited Mayor Ron Nirenberg to their weekly tenants union meeting to discuss their poor living conditions, but he did not attend. Seven Oaks tenants and organizers from Texas Organizing Project have been reaching out to city officials including the mayor to try and force the property owners of the apartment complex to improve living conditions for residents.

Ernestina Martinez argues with an employee of Achieve Investments as she and other Seven Oaks tenants and organizers from Texas Organizing Project descended on Achieve Properties’ offices in Austin on August 1. They were there to protest the way they have been treated by the property owners and management company. Among their list of demands was money to help them relocate, erasing the mass of evictions from their records and fixing the properties to make them livable in the meantime. Property owner James Kandasamy (not pictured) finally agreed to meet with tenants one on one or in a small group, but the tenants, at the encouragement of TOP, refused, saying they would meet as a group or not at all.

Ernestina Martinez sits in her walker outside her Seven Oaks apartment looking at her belongings on August 15. Martinez had just returned from a month long stay at a nearby Motel 6 to find her apartment overflowing with water from a leaking pipe that had slowly been getting worse. Unable to put her stuff inside Martinez sat in the heat waiting to hear if an how the office management would help her. They did agree to move her into a new apartment, but the first one they offered her was on a second floor, which she was unable to accept because she could not climb the stairs. Martinez had stayed at the Motel 6 because the air-conditioning in her apartment was not working and was never fixed by on site maintenance.

Twonya Mondy (right) embraces her friend and neighbor, ZhiÕRia Cook after her apartment flooded July 24. Cook lost most of her belongings including her bed. Cook had complained to Seven Oaks management for months about leaks in the apartment but nothing was ever fixed properly. Both are residents at Seven Oaks and both have had many problems with their apartments that have not been fixed.

Kaleob Williams leans his head against his children’s bunk bed while trying to change the TV channel on July 7. Williams and his wife have had many problems since moving in to the unit at Seven Oaks, including mold so bad it was making their special needs children sick. After their nurses intervened they were able to get the carpet in the children’s room changed. There is so much gunfire in the apartment complex Williams won’t let his children sleep on the top bunk because it is next to the window. They are also dealing with air-conditioning that sporadically works, a roach infestation and leaky pipes.

Jaqueline Gutierrez sits in the San Antonio Precinct 2 Justice of the Peace courtroom after loosing an eviction judgement on her Seven Oaks apartment on August 23. Gutierrez’s apartment hasn’t had working air conditioning for months, her ceiling in her living room leaks whenever it rains and her bathroom has a continuous leak that has never been fixed. San Antonio Housing Authority (SAHA) failed her apartment in May and stopped paying her rent. The property owners never fixed the problems, and Gutierrez was unable to keep up with the rent without the SAHA voucher. Gutierrez, like other tenants at Seven Oaks, had been looking hard for a new place to live, but was having trouble finding a place for her and her daughter that accepted housing vouchers.

Zhi’Ria Cook sits in her doorway, visibly shutting down after watching her apartment flood, ruining her belongings. The flooding started early Sunday morning, July, 24. Cook was making coffee when she heard water coming through a light fixture. The sound increased until it sounded like it was raining inside her apartment and water was coming through every light fixture and outlet. Cook had been complaining to the Seven Oaks management office for months about water leaks throughout her apartment but nothing was ever fixed. Cook salvaged what she could, but most of her belongings were ruined by the water including the bed she had saved for months to buy.

While scouring a fire-ravaged home, Flint resident Resheema Whitner holds onto the ashes of Naomi Bradley, who died in June 1994, while trying to recover as many family heirlooms after an early morning house fire killed 5 people, including three children, and hospitalized one child on Monday, June 6, 2022 in the 1600 block of Euclid Avenue in Flint. The lone child survivor had to jump from a second-story window to survive, according to the family. The child was taken to Hurley Medical Center where he is currently sedated and on a ventilator but in stable condition, Whitner said. “I'm in disbelief,” she said. “When you get a call at 6:40 in the morning, before your coffee, it’s something you don’t expect (to hear). This is just horrible. My family, we are ... I am in so much pain, my heart hurts."

Tina Birnie, wife of late Flint police Captain Collin Birnie, grasps at an American flag close to her heart as her daughters Bailey Ramirez, left, and Marista Dryden join her in an embrace while consoling one another after their father's funeral on Friday, Feb. 11, 2022 along Saginaw Street outside of St. Paul's Episcopal Church in downtown Flint. Collin Birnie, who died Feb. 4 in a head-on collision, served in the police department for 26 years. "It's hard to put into words, the feeling, the feeling of my dad was to me was protection, and comfort and love," Ramirez, Birnie's youngest daughter said at the memorial service. "The safety you feel as a child in your dad's arms is something I had the privilege of never growing out of. I felt so undeniably safe in his arms."

Farmer Dwight Echelberg, 78, combs a few rows in his field as he harvests sweet corn with Linden brothers Jake and Joe Miller on Tuesday, July 19, 2022 at Eichelberg Farm, located at 11154 Linden Road in Linden. Eichelberg has provided sweet corn at his farm, spanning 38 acres of the countryside, since 1978. As a vegetarian, he spends his days working from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. working on his farm to provide sweet corn, tomatoes, cucumbers, string beans along with his special pumpkins. “I shouldn’t still be doing this, but I’m crazy,” said Eichelberg, who had a second hip replacement in January.

Twenty-three Colby pours out a bottle of Hennessey cognac to honor the late Jacari Roberts in the middle of dozens of candles that spell out his name during a celebration of life ceremony in the center of the basketball court Thursday, June 16, 2022 at Gundry Park on Flint's north side. Roberts was shot outside of Hunters Ridge Apartments on June 16, 2021, transported to a local hospital and later pronounced dead.

DeAaron Williams Jr., 8, sits in front of his Chromebook from six hours while learning virtually on Friday, Feb. 4, 2022 at his home on Flint's north side. Now two plus-years into virtual learning, COVID-19 trends and the impacts of virtual learning will be felt throughout the students’ K-12 experience, changing — for better or worse — attentions spans, screen time and how we learn. Education researchers across the country have identified virtual learning as a failure, citing a growing achievement gap, stagnant social skills and stress on the entire family’s mental health. Students who learned remotely for longer periods in 2020 had lower growth on achievement tests that students who returned to the classroom, Michigan State University Education Professor Katharine Strunk said. Virtual learning may have stunted student’s growth, Strunk said, but the cost-benefit trade-off of going to virtual learning still must be considered. “You cannot run a school without teachers,” she said.

Grand Blanc resident Elizabeth Marasco throws up a peace sign while waving an American flag toward to semi-truck drivers as more than 70 supporters gathered to see off a trucker convoy headed to rally in Washington D.C. from a bridge on Baldwin Road over US-23 on Friday, Feb. 25, 2022 in Mundy Township near Flint. The rally expected to take place Tuesday, March 1 in the nationÕs capital has been touted as a showing of solidarity with Canadian drivers who recently held a blockade over coronavirus mandates on the trucking industry. "This isn't about the left and the right. This is about freedom," she said.

Tears flow as Dorcas Lyoya, mother of Patrick Lyoya, sits somberly after marching with more than 100 supporters wearing all black on Thursday, April 21, 2022 as speakers begin to talk about her son on the steps of the Michigan Capitol in Lansing to demand justice in the police shooting that took the life of Congolese immigrant Patrick Lyoya. "I brought my kids here so they could have a safe place," Dorcas Lyoya said. "I'm so surprised that this is where I came to lose my son."

Easton Gunsell, 11, cries after rushing into his brother Braden Locker’s arms for an embrace after Locker, a 20-year-old airman, surprised him while Gunsell was competing in a free throw competition on Tuesday, Nov. 22, 2022 at St. Robert Catholic School in Flushing. The Flushing native returned home for Thanksgiving with his family on a short leave from service for the U.S. Air Force while stationed in Saudi Arabia. “I was super happy to see him,” Gunsell said. “I’m so proud of him.”

Story description: A deadly tornado ripped through Gaylord, Mich. on Friday, May 20, leaving the close-knit city of about 4,200 began to pick up the pieces together. The following morning in the wake of devastation, droves of neighbors began volunteering to while those whose homes were torn asunder searched for precious heirlooms while attempting to make sense of the havoc that ravaged their beloved small town. At least two people died and 44 were injured. Emergency response efforts continued for days after Gov. Gretchen Whitmer declared a state of emergency within 24 hours of the storm.

Gaylord resident Jerry Jault, 72, recovers boxes from a garage covered in roots, bushes, tree branches and debris as he helps his neighbor Chester Macowiak, also 72, amidst the devastating aftermath on Saturday, May 21, 2022 in Gaylord after an EF3 tornado ripped through the small northern Michigan city. After a deadly tornado ripped through Gaylord on Friday, May 20, the close-knit city of about 4,200 began to pick up the pieces Saturday as volunteers showed up in droves to help one neighborhood ravaged by the storm.

The remains of the Goodwill building are seen through the shattered window at Little Caesars on Saturday, May 21 after as an EF3 tornado ripped through M-32 on Friday in Gaylord. So far, two people are dead, and an additional 44 injured after the May 20 natural disaster, according to Michigan State Police.

Vic Oullette, 74 of Gaylord, watches on gratefully as Gaylord resident Abby Tabor retrieves clothes from inside of Oullette's home on Saturday, May 21, 2022 in Gaylord after an EF3 tornado ravaged the small northern Michigan city. Ouellette was born in the basement of a house that his dad built by hand in 1945. The brown home a few blocks north of downtown Gaylord is where Ouellette grew up. It’s where Christmas was a big glittering celebration. And it’s where he eventually retired with his wife Connie in 1995. “There’s always been an Ouellette living here,” he said. But after 77 years of standing tall, the Ouellette house crumbled on Friday, May 20. The tornado whipped through Gaylord, crushing homes in a mobile home park, punching holes in businesses and wrenching the brown house on N. Otsego Avenue off its foundation. Retreating to the basement, the Ouellettes saw glimpses of the storm as debris slammed into Connie’s back, cracking her vertebrae. A neighbor’s son-in-law, Mark Weber, helped pull the couple out of the underground room after the tornado passed. “This is the first time I’m on the receiving end of something this catastrophic,” said Vic Ouellette, a 74-year-old retired Shiawassee and Saginaw County sheriff’s deputy. “And I got to tell you, it’s scary as hell. What’s really scary is you can’t do anything about it.”

Erica Wescoat-Large, a lifelong Gaylord resident, picks up shards of glass piece by piece in her aunt Anna Jaruzel's yard as community members pull together to clean up the devastating aftermath on Saturday, May 21, 2022 in Gaylord after an EF3 tornado ripped through the small northern Michigan city.

Gaylord resident Stephanie Kerwin, center, holds her baby Octavius in one arm and dog Pixie in the other as she and her family carry what they could salvage from her home n Nottingham Forest Mobile Home Park, seen here on Saturday morning, May 21, 2022 in Gaylord. At least two people died, both in their 70s, after a tornado touched down in Nottingham Forest Mobile Home Park. An additional 44 injured after the May 20 natural disaster according to Michigan State Police. "This morning is when it first hit me — I could have lost people that I really love. I am so grateful," she said.

On the family’s second night at the shelter, 37-year-old April DePew falls asleep on a couch while soothing her 2-year-old daughter Annaleah, who hugs her late father Donald DePew's sweatshirt as a comfort blanket as the two comfort one another on Saturday, May 21, 2022 at as displaced residents and families find refuge at an emergency shelter inside E-Free Church in Gaylord after an EF3 tornado ripped through the small northern Michigan City on May 20. “It’s really hard with two kids, so I don’t know what I’m going to do,” she said.

Steve Haske stood on the second floor of his house looking out a gaping hole torn in his roof. Below him, a flurry of people was in his yard picking up debris, cutting up fallen trees and collecting items scattered across the neighborhood on May 21, 2022. “It’s overwhelming,” said Haske pausing as he choked up. The tornado mangled a garage and tore half the roof off the house Steve and his wife Theresa Haske have called home for 27 years. It was the couple’s first house — where they raised their two children with a basketball hoop in the driveway and a tree fort in the backyard. It only took about three minutes for the tornado that struck about 3:45 p.m. to carve a path of destruction through Gaylord.

Gaylord resident Jerry Speckman sits on his porch at his home that is torn up with windows blown out and the doors and roof blown away amid devastating aftermath on Saturday, May 21, 2022 in Gaylord after an EF3 tornado ripped through the small northern Michigan city. He kept watch on his porch while waiting for other family to return so that nobody took any valuables from inside. “They have stepped up since it started. Within an hour after the twister left, they were out here clearing the road and knocking on neighbors’ doors. It was a very quick response.”

Vic Ouellette, 74 of Gaylord, embraces close friend and neighbor Carolyn Szymanski as she and her husband Ed come to console the Oullettes as volunteers by the dozen continue to clear the debris and retrieve clothing and precious mementoes on Saturday, May 21, 2022 in Gaylord after an EF3 tornado ravaged the small northern Michigan city. The house was built by his dad, Vic Ouellette, in 1945. They huddled in the basement when the storm was hit and debris slammed into Connie from behind fracturing her vertebrae. "This is terrible," she said, looking on at the Oullette house for the first time in total disbelief. "Oh my God. And he just fixed up his yard the other day. Wow, I never thought Gaylord would get hit like this. This is sad. Now, we need prayer."

Story description: Prom is a right of passage in both Flint and Saginaw, Michigan. Hundreds of parents line up to get a look at each seniors finest attire, whether that be a dapper suit, a gown to make your jaw drop or the nails, eyelashes or jewelry as senior’s shine on their once-in-a-lifetime moment. It’s more than a dance. It’s a chance for students to dress to the nines and to be treated with the highest respect — an honor they’ve not only earned, but deserve. They are kings and queens for a night. They are royalty.

Family members snap photographs with their cell phones of seniors Ihron Wilborn, left, and Shawntella Triplett as nearly two dozen New Standard Academy students showed up in their finest threads at the school on Flint's north side on Saturday, May 14 before heading to the Infinity Yacht in St. Clair Shores in the Safe Harbor Jefferson Beach Marina for dinner and dancing at “A Starry Night” theme prom. The duo arrived together and were also named prom king and queen. “It feels so good. Yeah, I’m No. 1,” Triplett said with a laugh. “It just feels good. I feel accomplished. I feel like I deserve this, to be able to be prom queen. I am just happy.”

Rain or shine, the show must go on and mothers, cousins and sisters all came prepared with umbrellas to escort each student from car to red carpet to help them shine despite the weather at the Westwood Heights Hamady prom on Saturday, May 14, 2022 at the Flint Farmers' Market in downtown Flint.

Senior Mya McKauckle, left, shouts out in awe of her classmates’ outfits as they roll up in cars to show off before going to the Westwood Heights Hamady prom on Saturday, May 14, 2022 at the Flint Farmers’ Market in Flint, Mich. “It’s about getting cute, and making sure that all the other girls and boys know that you can get cute,” said McKauckle, valedictorian of the senior class. “I don’t get cute on a daily basis, so letting them all know that I can get cute, especially as a basketball player, it means everything. … We’ve gotta live our lives, and we are all here to go to prom and have fun.”

Senior Jakobe Cotton, 18, shows off his necklace that features a photograph of his late brother Deondre Cotton, who died in 2012, as Saginaw Arthur Hill students show off their finest threads at Ojibway Island before heading to their prom on Thursday, May 26, 2022 in Saginaw.

As the state championship banners are showcased on full display, Beecher students show off their finest gowns at Moses Lacy Fieldhouse in Mt. Morris Township before heading to their prom at Zehnder's on Thursday, May 26, 2022 in Frankenmuth.

Tears well up in the eyes of grandmother Anita Levy as she watches her first-born grandson Aviante Harris-Levy, a Beecher senior, strut out of an expensive car with his date on his arm on Thursday, May 26, 2022 at Moses Lacy Fieldhouse in Mt. Morris Township. "I am so excited this is happening for my grandbaby," said Anita Levy. "He's graduating too, and he was on the football team. I am just so excited and so happy for him right now. To see him walk out of that car and strut was amazing. It was the most amazing thing in the world. Oh my grandbaby! I've been waiting 18 years to see this, baby. I love him with all of my heart. That's my first born grandson, and you know it's going down. He is the most important to me. I hope they have so much fun tonight."

Westwood Heights Hamady senior Daelyn Horton lays her freshly-pressed fingernails along her dress after hours of getting ready to look her finest for the matching-themed "Diamonds are Forever" prom on Saturday, May 14, 2022 at the Flint Farmers' Market in downtown Flint.

Hundreds of parents, extended family members and simply those who want to see prom-goers step out of vehicles shout out in celebration as they put on for the seniors showcasing their outfits before entering the Westwood Heights Hamady prom on Saturday, May 14, 2022 at the Flint Farmers' Market in downtown Flint.

Senior Shaniya Sutton wanted to put on her extra long lashes to impress her friends and look her most eloquent as the royalty she feels she is as nearly 100 Westwood Heights Hamady students attend the "Diamonds are Forever" theme prom on Saturday, May 14, 2022 at the Flint Farmers' Market in downtown Flint.

Senior Eriana Davis, 17, kneels down to connect with her 3-year-old cousin Eugene Long while senior Antanasja Battle, 18, stands in a matching outfit with her 3-year-old niece Ariyae Lyles as Saginaw Arthur Hill students show off their finest threads at Ojibway Island before heading to their prom on Thursday, May 26, 2022 in Saginaw.

Story description: Akram Hytham is an extraordinary human. He is a self-proclaimed artist, storyteller, big brother and software developer. Akram also has autism spectrum disorder. The 11-year-old Michigander wants to make friends and laugh just like the other students, despite the shortfalls with social interaction that make everyday life more difficult. "I am not really noticed by other people. I just want to fit in with other kids," Akram said. "People do not really respond to me." Akram wants the world to know that while he might face different challenges, he’s no different from other kids.

Akram Hytham, 11, stands atop a rock hundreds of feet from his siblings playing on the swing set in their back yard on April 14, 2022 in Grand Blanc. Akram has autism spectrum disorder. He is a self-proclaimed artist, storyteller, big brother and software developer. He wants to make friends and laugh just like the other students, despite the shortfalls with social interaction that make everyday life more difficult. "I am not really noticed by other people. I just want to fit in with other kids," Akram said. "People do not really respond to me." Akram wants the world to know that while he might face different challenges, he’s no different from other kids.

Akram Hytham, top center right, takes a sip of water while eating dinner after sunset, honoring Ramadan with his family on April 20, 2022 at his Grand Blanc home. As Akram has aged, he has found routines that help him stay focused around his family. At dinner time, that can vary though, as he will sometimes feel overanxious, take his plate and site in another room by himself while eating to calm himself.

Linda Abdelgabar wakes her son Akram Hytham after he snoozed an alarm on April 25, 2022 at their Grand Blanc home. Akram had a test that day, so Linda wanted to be sure he received enough rest, but also got up in time not to miss the bus. Akram’s mother takes special care to his morning and evening routines, though Akram has found his own devices to build in time to get to school. Akram’s mother had to wake him multiple times in worries he would miss the bus otherwise.

Akram Hytham, 11, waits for the bus with his sister Jude, 9, before school on Monday, April 25, 2022. Akram sees the advantages and disadvantages of his diagnosis very clearly. “Some people say that I am the smartest in class and I think that’s true,” he said. On the other hand, it keeps him from participating in certain social situations. “None of the students hate me, but I don’t think I am good at communicating,” Akram said. “... Sometimes, I cannot really tell how other people feel. For example, when someone says, ‘You have an assignment to do’ I cannot tell how they are feeling. I want to be treated like I am one of them.”

Before that in second grade, the teachers at the Perry Innovation Center put up positivity affirmations on a wall in the hallway with messages like “You can do this!” and “You are worth it!” By the end of that same day, Akram had taken each of the affirmations and put them up in his own locker. It was the positive reinforcement he needed, but it also served as a wake-up call for the teachers at the Perry Innovation Center that were trying to find a way to get him to speak more positively about himself. The same week before spring break when Akram was turning through pages and pages of artwork alongside his parents, he stopped at a piece of paper with only words. It was written self-talk. “It’s not about being the best... It’s about being better than you were yesterday,” Akram wrote. He kept this paper alongside some of his favorite stories, drawings and classroom assignments in his journal.

Akram Hytham gives a high-five to classmate Lily Hamilton after playing a board game about the American Revolution that he created on April 6, 2022 at Perry Innovation Center in Grand Blanc. He wants to make friends and laugh just like the other students, despite the shortfalls with social interaction that make everyday life more difficult. “I am not really noticed by other people. I just want to fit in with other kids,” Akram said. “People do not really respond to me.” Akram wants the world to know that while he might face different challenges, he’s no different from other kids.

Akram Hytham loves to swim, as he holds his breath underwater while splashing around the pool on Saturday, April 16, 2022 at the Ascension Genesys Health Club in Grand Blanc. Autism affects how the brain processes sensory information, and it is common to see children with autism seeking stimulation in different ways. Rocking, flapping, and even self-harm are all commonly associated with autism. The goal is to activate whichever sensory experience is most appealing to the individual, but what is so special about the water? Children with autism have difficulties connecting different stimuli to the same experience, making water very exciting. There are so many switches in the brain being activated simultaneously, that it’s no wonder children with autism are fascinated.

Akram Hytham, left, smiles as he sits with his family while taking a moment together between prayers during Ramadan on April 20, 2022 at their home in Grand Blanc, Mich. Akram’s whole family is Muslim. As parents, Linda and Hytham wanted their first child to know Arabic, but were forced to sacrifice that to not confuse Akram while he was learning the language. Prayer still is a must in the household, as Akram has learned to its importance as well.

Akram Hytham kneels atop his father's car as he throws a tennis ball against the garage and house for fun on April 14, 2022, choosing to play by himself rather than with his siblings. “You do not know what the future holds. But the one thing you can do for him, regardless of what he is going to do, is make him happy,” said Akram’s mother Linda Abdelgabar. “If you treat him like someone who doesn’t understand, he will continue to not understand. But if you treat him like someone who understands, he will understand.” When Akram was six years old, Linda found him with a pencil and paper. At the time, he wasn’t talking much and just started responding to his occupational therapy treatment. She found 10 or 15 pieces of paper with the same message. “He wrote ‘I can do anything.’”