I came back to America at the age of thirteen from Gambia, Africa. Being that my parents are African, I am dark skinned. I was born in Montgomery County, Maryland but I was sent to Africa after my parents divorced, at the age of 6 or 7. When I came back in 05, I started middle school. I was teased and mocked about my skin tone. I would walk in school and someone would just blurt out "you are so black" or I would walk down the halls with people whispering or even speaking out aloud making it seem like I didn't exist. I would go home and cry eyes out. My third day of school I spent my lunch time in the restroom crying. I did not want to go to class I wanted to hide under a rock for life. I felt like no one liked me and that everyone wanted me to feel like I was a non human. The only person that made me feel good about myself was my counselor. I remember the first day I walked into her office for registration she told me I had the most beautiful skin ever and I had smile as hard as possible showing her all my thirty one teeth. She made me feel like the most beautiful person in the world. After awhile I got really confused because when I went out everyone would continuously tell me how beautiful my skin was, and how I should be on cover girl but when I was in school my peers made me feel like the ugliest person ever.
Later in the tenth grade, the more I started listening to my mom about how I shouldn't care about what others say the more I started to realize that what other people said didn't matter, that I am a queen because of my color and that I am a queen because I will start wearing it proudly and what people said won't make or break me. I stopped concentrating on that and started concentrating on what I wanted to do in life. After two years of thinking, I realized I wanted to major in criminal justice because first of all, I want to be the one whose there when people are treated unfairly, the way my counselor was there for me, when I was treated unfairly for something I couldn't help. Secondly, I want to bring a different perspective to the field. Criminal justice is not only about shooting and killing, you save and change lives. It makes a person stronger both inside and outside. Criminal justice keeps you well rounded, you go beyond the technical training and you learn from the past to what the future holds. I mainly love it because it plays a vital role in keeping people safe. It is also not just one career for people to choose from, it's a variety of careers to choose from. I also get to make a real difference in my country.
In conclusion, this is just a story on quarter of my life and education. I hope the three fourths of it will be experienced in your school, my career in criminal justice and growing up to be a mature woman.
Later in the tenth grade, the more I started listening to my mom about how I shouldn't care about what others say the more I started to realize that what other people said didn't matter, that I am a queen because of my color and that I am a queen because I will start wearing it proudly and what people said won't make or break me. I stopped concentrating on that and started concentrating on what I wanted to do in life. After two years of thinking, I realized I wanted to major in criminal justice because first of all, I want to be the one whose there when people are treated unfairly, the way my counselor was there for me, when I was treated unfairly for something I couldn't help. Secondly, I want to bring a different perspective to the field. Criminal justice is not only about shooting and killing, you save and change lives. It makes a person stronger both inside and outside. Criminal justice keeps you well rounded, you go beyond the technical training and you learn from the past to what the future holds. I mainly love it because it plays a vital role in keeping people safe. It is also not just one career for people to choose from, it's a variety of careers to choose from. I also get to make a real difference in my country.
In conclusion, this is just a story on quarter of my life and education. I hope the three fourths of it will be experienced in your school, my career in criminal justice and growing up to be a mature woman.