Alumni F3

20/20 leadership was introduced to me at the end of my sophomore year. I learned about the meaning behind the program and how it could help students like me. Throughout my high school career, I have made a goal of mine to always strive towards the top. No matter the situation or any obstacle that may come my way, that has been my biggest goal. Being a 20/20 leader made this goal much more attainable. It taught me the highs and lows of putting yourself out there to get to where you want to be in life and how to be a better student overall. I’ve seen growth in my leadership skills because of this program in many different aspects. For example, I’m more motivated to reach out and advocate for something I think may need to be changed or that may need attention. Before it was hard for me to do this due to my social anxiety and the fear of rejection. This is also what prompted me to join my high school’s BLA (Black Leaders of America) group. 20/20 leadership helped me face that fear and learn to run towards anything I put my mind to, because sometimes you must take a leap of faith to get to where you want to be in this world.

My future is the most important thing to me besides my family. I come from a broken home, so I always do my best to look at the bright side and look for new ways to break this cycle. Everything that I have learned from 20/20 leadership in the past 3 years has helped me believe that this is possible. Student’s lives are changed each year due to this program, so I know that it’s possible for me to have that same fate. Once I complete my undergraduate years, I want to head off to med school to get a degree in obstetrics and gynecology. Women are in a serious need for help in healthcare because they often don’t feel heard and are neglected in some cases. POC women are affected by this the most and have been for years. With me being a woman of color, I believe it is important for me to stand up and change this. I want to be able to help women know they are safe and well taken care of, especially during the birthing process because that is one of the most vulnerable experiences any woman will ever go through. OB/GYNs are needed more and more in our society because the population is increasing every day. I know it is a difficult career field to get into and very competitive, but I won’t let this factor dim my light. This is where my newfound leadership skills come into play because all odds may be against me, but I’m going to make an effort to make this dream happen for me because of my passion for helping people, not even just women, and because someone has to stand up and make a difference. If I’ve learned anything from 20/20 leadership, it’s to make connections and get your foot into the door while you can.

In my previous paragraph, I talked about breaking the cycles of a broken family. There are individuals in my family that have had success stories, but not many. For my future generation, leaving a legacy is very important to me due to this. To me this means divorce, not going to college, and any bitterness towards a goal that may seem unimaginable to others. I will be the parent that makes an effort to make sure my children know they can do anything they put their minds to. I’ve always had the support of my parents, but I never really got to see a healthy dynamic. Breaking this curse to me is what will help prove to my future generation that they can make it work and achieve any of their goals.