Mark Medrano wanted to get the attention of people who were bullying him at his Chicago high school when he was a freshman, so he posted threatening messages on Facebook. He was expelled from school. But after he received mental health care, he went on to another school, graduated and enrolled in college. Now, he is at the University of Illinois at Chicago studying to become a high school history teacher. Mark tells StoryCorps facilitator Mary Bess Ser that he hopes to be able to help students who struggle with the same issues he faced.

Bill Healy produces StoryCorps Chicago for WBEZ and teaches journalism at Northwestern University. Follow him @chicagoan.