Alishia Topper knows what it’s like to be a hungry student with no place to call home.

“Homelessness, hunger, domestic violence, drug abuse,” said Topper, who is also a Vancouver city councilor. “Every barrier a kid might have, I have experienced. It makes me more empathetic.”

For a closer look at the challenges Alishia experienced growing up and how she overcame them, read the full story in The Columbian.