“Iwas the third person in my family to graduate high school. I was the first to graduate from college. And being a first-generation college student was hard. I didn’t have too many people to go to for guidance. I found myself turning to professors and other students on campus, a lot, like, ‘Ok. What do you do next?’ Especially with financial aid, I’d ask them, ‘How do you apply for scholarships?’

But my mom pushed me to come out of my shell and told me to not be afraid. She told me that being a first-generation college student doesn’t make me less than anyone else. I lost my mom during my junior year at Jackson State and that was hard. It was very challenging. I wanted to give up, but it’s like she came to me in a dream and said, ‘No. You’re going to finish this.’ So instead of balling up, crying, and dropping out, I used it as motivation to get me here.