A life is made up of before and after moments. Some are dramatic, others clear only with the passage of time. That's the best way to appreciate what happened to Alison Olson five years ago, when her high school counselor sent word that she wanted to see her.
Olson, then 15, knew she wasn't in trouble. She earned good grades and understood the financial sacrifices her parents made to send their only child to La Salle Catholic College Preparatory, a private school in Milwaukie.
But she didn't know what lay ahead. It was just a moment, a routine question.