The Christian Music Explosion evening of competition and Culture benefits the 4KIDS of South Florida Life of Independent Living. Cece Herrero is one of the stories behind the Life .
Cece was born into an abusive household.   At the age of two, her mother and father separated and Cece, along with her mom, were left homeless in Miami.  They wandered from place to place for a number of years before her mother was able to settle down.  Without any real structure in her life, Cece began acting out at school and soon found herself involved in drugs, both as a user and eventually, as one of the youngest female drug lords in her neighborhood. 
In December of 2005, at the age of 15, Cece’s life was about to change in ways she could never have imagined when authorities discovered her homeless and pregnant. Initially placed in His Caring Place, a home for young, unwed pregnant teens, Cece developed a special relationship with her birth coach, Gaye Herrero.  Cece surrendered her life to Christ and God eventually provided for Gaye and her husband Bert, to adopt Cece’s child, Michael.
In April of 2009, God opened the door for Cece to move into 4KIDS’ Spirit of Success Institute, the Independent Living program.  When she moved in, Cece was doing her best to glorify Christ but trials and tribulations revealed to her that she had neither the discipline nor perseverance necessary to be successful.  Surrounded by mentors and counselors committed to having her mature into a godly young woman, Cece prayed for the Lord to teach her to live a life of obedience.
Cece has been totally transformed.  No longer is she the angry, untrusting, street wise, tough talking young woman at home on the streets. Cece has evolved into a smiling, loving, beautiful woman who loves the Lord with her whole heart, mind, and strength. Over time, it also became clear to Gaye and her husband, Bert, that God was calling them to take Cece in as their daughter where they have given her a loving family, a restored sense of belonging, and hope for her future. 
Though there have been many bumps in the road along the way, Cece has never doubted that God has a plan for her.  She professes that He has been faithful to His promise to her that, “He will instruct her in the path she should choose.” (Psalm 25:12) Cece is just one of the young people whose lives have been radically changed by the Life of Independent Living.