I was not originally scheduled to edit the RIZE Short Story Anthology, Volume 1, but sometimes fortune smiles. The opportunity to select and edit this collection, written by authors from underrepresented groups, was one of those professional milestones that ultimately has a way of getting into the psyche and marking my personal map with moments of growth, insights, and cherished value. With an eclectic gathering of voices, these stories add dimensions to leave the readers' perspectives more worldly, experiences widened, and thoughts stretched out of their conditioned molds. This inaugural edition of the RIZE Short Story Anthology represents stories and authors from around the corner and from around the world and, by design, offers a diverse adventure into storytelling that leads to a great adventure of story reading. - Benjamin B. White, Editor of RIZE Short Story Anthology, Volume 1, and author of The Recon Trilogy +1