Before anyone knew what Andrew Lee might become, doctors knew what he faced. Born with CHARGE syndrome, he entered the world needing open-heart surgery and spent years enduring hospital stays, therapies and surgeries before reaching milestones many children take for granted. But Andrew never wanted to be defined by a diagnosis. Instead, he became his own advocate, teaching classmates at John Adams Middle School about his cochlear implants and hearing loss while helping them better understand disability. Today, Andrew hopes to become a teacher, carrying forward the same love of learning that helped carry him through adversity.