Then there’s Nicole, who also lives in Austin-though in an area far less inviting than the spacious private housing development where Ethan was raised. Ethan’s mom, meanwhile, strived to raise an engaged citizen she even helped him register to vote when he turned 18. His father also volunteered as the school orchestra’s bus driver. Instead of letting Ethan watch TV and play video games, his dad took him on hiking trips to New Mexico where they would track bears and practice navigation. He grew up with supportive middle-class parents who put him in extracurriculars his whole life: Boy Scouts, soccer, track, orchestra. One is named Ethan-a freshman at an elite college near Austin, Texas, pursuing a degree in engineering. Imagine two young adults who, despite living in the same city, come from very different worlds.
