
Gesenia Viviescas holds many identities. She is a master’s student. A Fulbright scholar. A woman of color. She is a chef and entrepreneur, co-owning a cooking business with her mother. She is a sister and daughter. An aspiring social worker. A writer. Gesenia has also experienced homelessness.
Growing up, Gesenia remembers having an “obscured” feeling of home, moving from Chicago, to Florida, to her parents’ native Colombia. As teens, Gesenia and her sister moved back to Chicago for high school, seeking better educational opportunities. They initially stayed with a family member, later bouncing around multiple friends’ and relatives’ houses. Gesenia sold chocolate bars to provide for herself and her sister.
Continue reading Gesenia knows that “healing isn’t linear”