My childhood love for reading gave me a vivid imagination and high aspirations for my future. I always sought to live an adventurous and fulfilling lifestyle like the characters in my favorite books. Because of this, I pursued and developed passions in various areas of my life such as sports, fine arts, and service. All of which allowed me to travel, meet new people, or otherwise have positive, lasting experiences. My main ambition in life has been to find a way to bridge these interests in a way that would allow me to both enjoy how I spend my time and help those in need. And so far, I can’t say I’m disappointed with how things have turned out. I have been abroad, met and talked with people in a language foreign to me, served my university in mentoring and medical capacities, and appreciated more art in the last two years than I’ve ever had access to before! In recent years, my goals have manifested themselves in the majors I have chosen to pursue in college. As a dual Athletic Training and Black Studies major, I am blessed daily with opportunities to explore the perspectives of marginalized people, celebrate the successes and achievements that have come from those experiences, be inspired to strive for excellence in my own life, and practice making those aspirations come to fruition by working to prevent and treat the injuries of some of the nation’s finest athletes. My academic pursuits have helped my dream to blossom into a desire to become a doctor with the ultimate goal of opening my own teaching hospital where I could treat and educate those who don’t normally have access to reliable healthcare or quality education. Considering that everyone has a body and a mind and that there are numerous mysteries we have yet to solve concerning how best to maintain those minds and bodies, I can’t think of a more fulfilling or adventurous way to live my life.

Majors:

Athletic Training; African and African Diaspora Studies

Other Academic Interests:

Pre-Med

What drew you to the Forty Acres Scholars Program (FASP)?

The opportunity to broaden my horizons through enrichment activities and to meet like-minded individuals with an array of interests were both big allures for me. In my scholarship interview, I made it clear that making an investment in me was making an investment in my community and all the people ahead and behind me who helped me get where I am today and who look to me for the direction of our future. I believed (and still do) that the opportunities afforded me by the Forty Acres Scholars Program will help me make good on that initial promise. In essence, the Forty Acres Scholars Program sold me on our university’s motto: What starts here changes the world. But more importantly, they made me realize that what starts here can change my world.