The art room at Pius X High School was a sanctuary—bright windows, paint-splattered tables, and the faint smell of clay and acrylics. For junior Naomi Chen, it was the only place where the world made sense. She stayed after school most days, working on her portfolio for a summer arts program she desperately wanted to get into. Her latest piece—a large charcoal portrait—was giving her trouble. The

When Jordan Alvarez walked through the front doors of Pius X High School for the first time, he felt like he was stepping into a different world. His old school had been tiny—one hallway, one cafeteria, one everything. Pius X was a maze of classrooms, staircases, and students who all seemed to know exactly where they were going. Jordan, meanwhile, clutched his schedule like a lifeline. His