About the Contributor(s): Creola Thomas was born and raised in Chicago in the most notorious housing complexes. His mother was an urban missionary and his father was a noted pastor committed to living and working amongst the poor. Growing up in the hardest part of Chicago taught him that even on the dark side of life our light as Christians can still shine. After high school Thomas attended Columbia College and majored in Theater. He had the honor of attending Wheaton College, where he earned a Masters in Evangelism. A few years later he attended Northeastern and earned a MA in Special Education. He currently teaches full-time for CPS.