With the help of the JFCS refugee resettlement program, Vladimir and his family were finally able to move to San Francisco from Moscow in 1997. Although the move was a positive one for the family, Vladimir's mother suffers from depression and requires ongoing therapy from the JFCS Bilingual Mental Health Clinic. Vladimir also found it hard to adjust to his new country and started having learning and discipline problems in school.

At the recommendation of their emigre case manager, Vladimir signed up for the Parents Place On the Mark mentor-tutor program, which provided him with an American "big brother" to help him with his schoolwork. He also began attending Club NooN, the JFCS émigré teen program, which allowed him to connect with other young people going through the same challenges.

As his involvement with On the Mark, Club NooN and JFCS increased, so did Vladimir's self-esteem and his success at school. As he enters his senior year, Vladimir is looking forward to serving on the Club NooN Teen Advisory Board and working as a JFCS summer intern through the Club NooN Summer Teen Work Internship program. He's become an important part of the Club NooN team and found a place for himself in this new land.