The travel documentary ROADTRIP NATION: READY TO RISE follows three out-of-work youth - Ryan, Summer and Michael - as they travel across the country to interview inspiring individuals who overcame adversity to build fulfilling lives and careers. Ryan, a 20-year-old from Patterson, Calif., aspires to uplift his community in some way, and believes the opportunity to travel and meet mentors from similar backgrounds will open him up to a whole new world of possibility. Summer, also 20 and a California native, has been looking for a support system her whole life. Raised in a foster care environment without a defined sense of family to guide her, she knows what it's like to feel alone in the world, and dreams of becoming a crisis counselor to help others who face similar challenges. Twenty-four year old Michael, who was raised in a poverty-stricken neighborhood, found himself involved in gang life at the age of 12 to get by. A high-school dropout, Michael resolved to turn his life around after he found himself locked up in a juvenile detention center. Once out, he became involved with the program YouthBuild Schenectady, which gave him the support he needed to awaken his potential. Michael hopes the road trip will give him the wisdom and experiences to further develop his purpose and share his story with others. As the roadtrippers embark on their personal journeys for a better way of life, along the way they find hope and inspiration from their interviews with Chris Gardner, author of The Pursuit of Happyness, Father Greg Boule, founder and executive director of the non-profit organization Homeboy Industries, filmmaker Lydia Joyner, and several others.
