American Next Centerpiece
Mexico, Mo., millennials discuss elections and the nature of change
As part of the American Next project, a look at the concerns of young Missourians in Mexico and their perspective on the election, the next generation and America's future.
Ahmed Abdalla, Somali refugee, learns reality of the American Dream
As a resettled refugee, Ahmed Abdalla’s American Dream already came true: He’s here. Seven years later, he is still learning what that means.
Couple turns childhoods of poverty into wealth for their own children
For all their hard work and planning, Sean and Darline Mabins don't see their good fortune solely as the result of their efforts. They also know that it's a blessing from God.
Second-generation immigrant struggles to find motivation of his parents
Ezana Gebru, 25, has idled in college for seven years and remains a semester away from finishing his degrees. His parents are Ethiopian immigrants, who, through dogged determination, narrowly escaped poverty and persecution to chase the American Dream. Now Ezana is trying to find his footing in his parents' world as well as his own.
Adjustment to college, adulthood tough for circle of friends in West Plains
Four friends try to make it through school with passing grades, search for decent jobs and hope for better lives than what they've seen in their hometowns. They are sweet and sassy, funny and frustrating, maddening and, at times, tragic.
Personal essay: A Romanian’s reflection on the American Dream
Most of the young people I talked to in reporting for the American Next project said they believed in the American Dream theoretically but didn’t think they could live it themselves.
A slackline for now — and a lifeline for others
Madeline Cummings is 19 and a freshman at Truman State University studying health science pre-med. On sunny days, she can be found walking barefoot on a slackline that's set up between two trees on the Truman campus. But that's for now.
