She dreams of being a teacher, and for three hours a day, she gets to be a little girl with big dreams.

CNN: Afghan girl begs for bread, prays for help

But for a little girl facing a big world, the names were simple: Monster.

CNN: A beauty beyond skin deep

"When I was raised in the South Bronx as a little girl, I watched an awful lot of television, and it was a big influence on my life, " Manzano said in an interview in 2004.

CNN: Why 'Sesame Street's' Sonia Manzano is a Latino icon