The Boy Who Fought With Bones

The Austin heat was brutal, but I worked 60-hour weeks as an intern at Chadwick' s Smokehouse, fueled by free brisket and the promise of a paycheck.

I desperately needed that money for my community college tuition and my brother' s medical bills back home.

But when my internship ended, Mr. Chadwick and his daughter Gabrielle laughed in my face, telling me the "experience" was my payment and I should be grateful.

They tried to dismiss me with a crumpled hundred-dollar bill, dismissing two months of grueling work.

I fought back and got paid, but their retaliation was swift and brutal.

First, they used their influence as college donors to get my scholarship suspended and my work-study revoked, threatening my entire future.