“I’m actually in the process of writing a poetry book. Outside of school, that’s kind of been my focus lately. Getting into that creative mode and creating that. I started writing as a kid in my free time, but when I got to high school, I had different hobbies like playing sports and hanging out. So, I kind of pushed writing to the side. But in my senior year, when we were doing school online at home, I started to pick up my old hobbies and see what I really like. When I came to Jackson State, I met a friend who also writes poetry, so it helped to push me to keep doing it.

I like to write about my experiences and what I’ve been through. One of the poems that I’m writing is called 50/50. My parents have been divorced since I was in the first grade. It was really hard in the beginning, but I always knew it was better for them to be apart than together. My dad has been in my life the whole time, so I’m very thankful. My mom has been very helpful, too. So it’s like 50/50. And my mom is white and my dad is Black, so with that, I wouldn’t say I had an identity crisis but I did wonder where I fit in.

With my poetry, I want to open people’s eyes to different perspectives. When you read about other people’s stories, it broadens your view of the world and helps you think outside of yourself. I haven’t really thought about what I want to do with poetry long-term. Personally, I’ve never been through a long creative process, so this is an opportunity for me to do something that I actually have to put work into and create. I feel like it’s going to help me with anything creative that I want to do.”

– Abram, freshman civil engineering major from Houston and Austin, Tex.