Mentality.

"The mind has exactly the same power as the hands; not merely to grasp the world, but to change it." -Colin Wilson

I am an 18 African American female in my first year of college. I have many goals and dreams that I plan to accomplish in my lifetime, but I know that I will have to go through many obstacles and will have to push myself in order to persevere. I am frequently judged and people have preconceived notions of me based solely on the color of my skin.

My transition into high school was one of the roughest times that I went through in my entire life. I was transferring districts, which meant that I wouldn't be able to see all the friends that I grew up with; I had to start from scratch. I came from a predominantly black school going to a predominantly white high school. The culture shock was so surreal. I dealt with racism in many ways, shapes, and forms. During my freshman year, I was sitting at the lunch table, and a kid who was three times my size demanded my lunch, calling me a "nigger", while everyone looked around at the table, laughing nervously. I was teased because of the way I talked, the various hairstyles that I wore to school, my braids never untouched and my signature natural puff was constantly being referred to as look like "broccoli", and my "ghetto" mannerisms.

When I was asked by one of my teachers what I wanted to do after high school, he laughed and brushed it off, as if what I had said was an entire joke to him, what I wanted to achieve seemed entirely impossible. I didn't know what to do, I was lost.

I then began to contemplate my decisions on life and asked myself was I really setting myself up for failure? Was I just getting lost in the clouds?

I then realized that I wasn't.

I began to push myself even harder, spending countless nights studying and even trying to gain more knowledge than I had learned, not only to show my peers and teachers that I am intelligent, but to prove to myself that I am worthy of receiving an education like everyone else, and I can set my mind to anything.

With that mindset, I can proudly say that I have achieved so much not only academically, but mentally.

I went on to graduate both of my high schools, with some college credits already completed, and just recently got approved for my double minor in Criminal Justice and English.

I absolutely refuse to be another statistic, another labeled stereotype. I can’t change the color of my skin, but I can change my perception of myself. Self love, self respect, and self appreciation are very important to me. I am proud of who I am and the person that I am becoming.  I am an ambitious, beautiful Black girl who strives for the best and nothing less.