“You’re so pretty for a black girl.” This is something I’ve heard all of my life. Occasionally, I’ll also hear, “You just seem so educated for a black girl.” The list of comments I’ve received in my life that finish with “… for a black girl” goes on and on. Multiple people have told me I’m beautiful, but I never believe them: I could never accept these comments without having some kind of doubt. People are...

What my Parents' Divorce Has Taught Me

When I was 15, my parents separated and, soon after, divorced. Divorce is a hard pill for any child to swallow, but it was especially hard for me: As a child, I thought my family was picture perfect. But as I got older, I started to see that this perfect picture no longer fit into its frame. I remember my parents called my sisters and me into our home’s family room to talk. At first, I thought we were in...

I originally chose my university to play basketball there, but after stepping foot on campus and seeing what the environment and classrooms were like, I wanted to focus solely on academics. I had never had a lot of time to focus on school work and so when I made that decision, it helped me grow so much and...

Talk to people. It's great to introduce yourself to people to not only become more familiar with who is on campus, but to also network as well. You never know who you'll meet and how someone can help you reach a certain goal or...