Strength. Determination. The wherewithal to pursue her dreams though the odds seem stacked against her. What keeps her going? Her all-encompassing, fierce love for her children: Rebecca and Adrian Andrade Marin.

Samih, born in Lebanon, is a lawyer by training. His path to the United States – and volunteerism – was a years-long journey. After leaving Lebanon, Samih lived in Europe, (Belgium and Greece) and Saudi Arabia, and legally immigrated to the United States in 1986. Samih volunteered, first for the Freedom Readers since 2013, then for PLC where he has been since 2019, when the organization was founded.