Portrait of Jeny

Sam and Rosy are thankful that their kids have turned out so well, despite their own bad behavior. They're thankful that their kids somehow took care of themselves when they weren't there for them. But they swear those days are behind them. "There's no turning back this time," Sam says. "You have to make the right choices. If you make bad decisions, you're going to go down that path for sure. Learn the easy way or learn the hard way — it's up to each individual person."

Jeny made up her mind a long time ago.

Anthony Camera

Rosy and Sam Martinez (left) have turned their lives around — and their daughters Carmen and Jeny have forgiven them their past sins.

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Rosy, Carmen, Rudy, Jeny and Sam Martinez (left) have a new home — and life — in Aurora; David Medina (right) has followed their progress.

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"I do not want to end up like my parents," she says. "I am not going to have four kids, one in California, and be on drugs. I'm not going to end up like my parents. I'm telling you, I'm going to have a good job and a nice house." She hopes to be a journalist one day, and has already started writing some of her own story.

"I think God actually came through for us this time," she says.

In my future, I have a lot planned. I really love my dance team and I enjoy it. But really, I want to be a writer. I'm trying hard in high school to make it through, and I'm making it. I want to graduate and go to a good college. I want to make it in life. My parents are my example that I should try harder in life and really think of the decisions that I make. I really would like to visit schools and talk to students and share my experience with people so that they know that they are not the only ones. The end.