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The house where I grew up was in an urban area, but it was a very large house with four rooms and a backyard that was also really large. My mom loved animals, but at one time, things got out of control. We had two cats and two dogs. Then, in the same year, they all agreed to get pregnant. The cat had four kittens, and the dog had three puppies. We had eleven pets now in the house. You can’t imagine the noise the dogs made barking and the cats made running on the roof every night.

Since then, I haven’t wanted to have animals anymore.
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Cesar Rojas began studying at University Settlement in 2019, the same year he came to New York City. He now studies with teacher Courtney Askins. In his native Venezuela, he worked for many years for a North American vehicle-assembly company. Now, at age 42, he loves cars, surfing, and eating. At University Settlement, in addition to learning, he has met many good and interesting people.