Growing up in my world wasn’t all peaches and cream. Houston’s 3rd Ward, a neighborhood known as the projects, is where I was born and raised. It is a community consisting of unnecessarily endless murders, robberies, poverty, gangs, drugs, police brutality, and underfunded schools. I wasn’t raised in a stable two-parent household. My family has been stuck in an unsuccessful generational curse. Statistics show that children who have persistent exposure to poverty and unstable households will most likely continue to be trapped in that world when they become adults. Obviously, I do not want to be a part of that statistic, so I have decided not to be.

A cycle breaker is one who grows up without any example of the life they want or need, fights to build that life, and succeed. I am that cycle breaker. I will be attending Spelman College this fall. It is the #1 HBCU in the country and I am majoring in Political Science and Sociology. I had my village that helped me in my time of need, so I want to become part of a village for many others, like myself, that will need the security and community that was given to me. I want to embody a village that doesn’t judge anyone for their hometown. I want to embody a village that supports dreams and helps bring imagination to life. I want to embody a bridge that can grow endlessly. My drive, passion, and determination will set an example for my community and I hope to promote positive life goals and dreams that continue to break the cycle.