Eddie Parent, 23, of State College, flaunts his full, red beard on Pugh Street. Parent prides himself on his beard, which he has been growing for over a year, with an occassional trim, he added. / Photo by Carley Mossbrook

Evan Cheng, 22, moved to America with his parents when his mother was offered a job as a nurse. His father, a successful fiction author in China, has always encouraged him to be his own man and do what he wants with his life. Cheng is now a senior in Chemical Engineering and is thinking about graduate school. / Photo by Chris Moyer

Yining Zhang, a guitar player and singer says he used to be in a rock band and smoked in order to get a "decent sound" for rock music. "I no longer belong to any band now. I play for myself. Music is about expression but not being in the spotlight." / Photo by Ruoyi Li

Mariah Bullock, 27, sits on her front porch in State College. Bullock was diagnosed with Congenital Scoliosis as a child and has been dealing with the disease her whole life, undergoing multiple surgeries and weekly therapy. / Photo by Lauren Coleman

Natasha Cox, 26, is the Program Coordinator for the LGBTQA Student Resource Center. While working at the center, she is also working on her PhD. The focus for her dissertation is the study of queer woman of color. / Photo by Bria Williams

Terry Shuler, 68, is the manager of Northhampton Gallery Pianos in State College. Besides working in the antiques, Shuler also writes. He wrote a book about Volkswagen Bettle; what’s next is a book about all the interesting turtle stories he heard. / Photo by Viola Du

Kevin Sanders, 39, managing Baby’s Burgers and Shakes in downtown State College. He has been a manager there for six years now and never wants to leave the job, except when he goes home at night. / Photo by Jessica MacCallum

"If you don’t like it, do it like you enjoy it. My father told me when I was a kid, but it took 15 years for me to figure it out." ~ Wilfried Guiblet, 27 / Photo by Adelle Cao