PEORIA ( 25News Now ) - As Hispanic Heritage Month draws to a close, we conclude our series with a story about discovering oneself and finding strength in one’s roots.

Author Kayla Pica Williams is using her words to explore what it means to live between two cultures, and how identity, family, and resilience shape who we are.

EN ESPANOL: Una autora del centro de Illinois da voz a su identidad bicultural

For Pica, writing has always been more than words on a page; it’s a way to understand who she is.

“Pica is the name that I go by most of the time. It’s my capoeira name, an Afro-Brazilian martial art that I train in. I’m a graduate student at ISU. I’m about two weeks away from defending my dissertation and getting my PhD. I’m an English professor at the University of Illinois in Champ

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