One survived the Somali civil war to make a new life without his parents in the United States. Another saw her father beaten by drug dealers and gang members in St. Paul.
All four overcame tragedy and terrible hardship to become model young citizens, and they will be honored Friday night by the Children's Defense Fund-Minnesota in its annual "Beat the Odds" scholarships for Minnesota high school seniors.
To read profiles of the four local high school seniors, turn to B3.
