My childhood was spent flitting from Army base to college towns as my parents pursued their career opportunities. I was reading fluently and independently in Spanish and English by the age of three. By the age of five I had written my first poem, a rather sad tale about a lonely mouse and a hungry dragon. I discovered the power of the pen to convey and provoke feeling. In high school I was one of two 'minority' students in AP classes. I earned National Merit and National Hispanic Merit Semi-F...