MY LIFE STORY When I was born, I almost died. I was 3.5 months premature and only 1 lb 4.75 ounces. My chances were very small, and I was baptized almost immediately, for my death was assumed certain. I was hospitalized for a full three months after my birth. To this day, my family calls me the miracle baby. They say it was God’s work. I say it was science’s work. My family did its best to support me even if...

I slowly picked up one magazine after the other, meticulously sorting them into piles, deliberately focusing on the task in front of me. It was cleaning day, and this was my job. My eyes shifted back and forth. Now? I asked myself. The lump in my throat grew wider, constricting my breathless words. How could I possibly do this? Am I sure? Of course I am. "Daddy?" I began, and I spoke. Those last few moments dictated the rest of...

I honestly cannot find the perfect words to use on the woman I am about to describe. Nice or kind doesn’t even begin to describe her. African American or woman is a superficial method of defining her. No, she cannot be accurately defined, for she was above it all. She was above the hate, above the lies, above the pettiness. She, my grandmother, was a saint. I grew up knowing her as Mama Roz. She dedicated her life to...

I wrote about how important my grandmother was to me. I also wrote about my coming out story.

I participated in several summer activities that I felt prepared me for college admissions and college itself....