As far back as in first grade, I’ve always been independent and serious about my studies and this continued throughout elementary, middle and high school. I was constantly aware that my academics would be the road to lead me to achieve my career dreams.
Living in a small town that was very racially diverse, I intentionally surrounded myself with friends that were like-minded with similar life goals. My close circle of friends were in the top 20 of our class and typically in the same honors/Advanced Placement classes as I , we played sports together, joined similar clubs, etc.
By my junior year in high school, I had a very strong sense of myself and high standards of the type of college I wanted to attend. I knew that since I had applied myself well in school and excelled both in and outside of the classroom (I was captain of the field hockey team, played softball, held various positions in drama club, student council, and math league, interact, had several AP classes and more), my application package would be strong enough to get into a top school in the northeast.
While I initially had my mind set on Harvard, once I visited Boston University (BU) I fell in love with the school and it became my first choice. Based on my research, I felt BU would provide me with the challenging environment I needed to stretch my learning and prepare me for my long-term career goals. And so I applied and to my greatest joy not only was I accepted into this top university with less than a 25% acceptance rate, but I also received the president’s award and several other scholarships.
However, upon arrival at BU, my first year was overwhelming. Moving from a small town with a diverse ethnic population to a large university in the northeast where I was a clear minority was a culture shock. Then there was the fast-paced, highly rigorous academic curriculum in pre-medicine, coupled with my novice approach to studying. I quickly felt out of place and for once in my life intimidated. However, the support of my parents, lots of prayer and a constant reminder that if I had what it took to get to this school, I had what it took to make it here, kept me going. Over the next year and half, after many tears of frustration, I came to terms with the fact that I would need to work much harder than my peers to be successful and so that was what I did.
One of the major turning points was when I decided in my junior year to carve my own degree path and resist the pressure from my family to select a specific minor in order to be pre-medicine. Once I did that, and started taking classes I was truly passionate about, I began to excel more seamlessly. Suddenly my schedule was more manageable, I built a network of friends outside the classroom through social clubs; community service organizations; dance groups; and more. This helped me develop emotionally as I began to learn more about the young woman I was becoming and my value system. Through my new network, I developed bonds with other students with whom I shared similar experiences and challenges. We were able to support each other and share tips to help us successfully navigate our college years.
By my senior year, I could look back and see that in addition to the laudable and fine education I received from BU, I had also given back to the school through my hundreds of hours of community service, raising cultural awareness through African dance and the many competitions we won; research projects and internships at the Boston Medical Center and more. In the end it was a mutually beneficial relationship that I am honored and blessed to have been part of.
My advice to young queens embarking on their college journey is 1) Choose a field of study that you love, are passionate about and that aligns with your spirit so you are not overwhelmed and enjoy the journey and 2)know that college is your chance to start afresh. No one you meet (neither students nor faculty) knows your past so don’t feel intimidated about what you don’t know. Rather recognize, what you need to do to be successful and do the work until you win because in the end you will.
Signed by,
A young queen and BU Class of 2020