High School could be tough but college can be 10x harder. The struggles of high school were just growing pains to prepare me for college. Although at the time the bigger picture seemed so far away. There were so many frustrating and embarrassing moments that made me wish graduation would hurry up. I recall a time where I struggled with my chemistry class. That class confused me unlike any other. But, the regents were even harder. I was so embarrassed that even after taking it 3 times I still managed to fail it. But it was important that I kept my head up and moved on. High School didn’t only teach me lessons through struggle. Good leadership qualities were instilled in me from being President of the National Honor Society, Vice President of Student Council and captain of the basketball team. These roles shaped my social skills and raised my confidence. No one wants to follow a person who doesn’t believe in themselves. Being involved with NHS and Student Council required me to actively be involved with my community. Any event that I had free time to volunteer for, I was there. When I give back I feel empowered and good about myself. I’m making a difference in someone else’s life.
Being so busy left me no time to hang with friends. So coming into Baruch I was really concerned if I would find a good group of friends that shared the same or even different interests as me. To my surprise, I ended up being 1 of 21 players on the Women’s Basketball team. Making friends was a lot easier than I thought. I developed a really close bond with three girls in particular, Jasmine, Iyana, and Sheridan. It was like an instant connection from day one. We help each other adjust to living away from home and making a transition from high school to college. Together we have so much fun and share an infinite amount of laughs. But most of all were there for each other when times get rough. When Jasmine first got here, we helped see her through an ACL injury. We made things comfortable for her and never made her feel out of the loop. When I was having health problems, in and out the hospital for three weeks the girls were very supportive of me. They would text me often to check up on me and wish me a speedy recovery. They wanted me to be back on the court just as bad as I did. Now, I’m back and healthy, enjoying this college experience, living on my own in the dorms and playing basketball. I feel so mature and independent. I have found a stable group of friends, something I lacked in high school, and a new team of sisters. I even developed some good study habits to keep me on top of my grades.
It felt as if nothing was changing as days went by one by one, but when I look back I just say wow because everything is different and better. The big picture no longer seems far to me. My experiences have taught me very valuable life lessons. It’s not where you start, but where you finish. That’s why one of my theme songs is “Empire State of Mind” by Jay-Z and Alicia Keys, because in a nutshell Jay-Z briefly states where he started and how he ended up. “Me, I’m out that Bed-Stuy, home of that boy Biggie now I live on Billboards and I brought my boys with me…” Also the line “New York, concrete jungle where dreams are made of There’s nothing you can’t do…” I’m sure many can relate to. Growing up in New York City is rough but if you continue to strive to be great, you will see the results you want. Being accepted into Baruch is just one of many goals I have yet to reach and I won’t stop until I fulfill my dreams.
