It was a rainy Thursday in early March when I first met Rissa at the community center’s after‑school program. She was eight, shy, clutching a well‑worn sketchbook, and looking a little lost as she hovered near the “Kids’ Corner.” I was there to help run a coding workshop, but a quick chat about her drawings turned into a deeper conversation about school, friends, and a family situation that was, frankly, a bit messy.