When I was younger, I used to hear people say, “If you can make it in New York, you can make it anywhere.” I now know that it’s true.
It’s been a little over a week since I moved out of my dorm in Greenwich Village and back to my home in Chicago. My grades are in, and I’m officially a sophomore at NYU. That’s really wild to me. It feels like just like last week I was listening to Empire State of Mind on repeat as I moved into my dorm, and finally became a New Yorker. It all came full circle for me when I found myself listening to the same song on repeat as I made my way to the airport for my final departure of the year.
This reflection was something I wanted to take my time with because it means so much to me. NYU has been my dream school since I was in 7th grade, and it’s amazing to me to see this all play out. You know, it’s not everyday that little black girls from the south side of Chicago get to follow their dreams. Sadly, that’s not the reality for all of us. I’m extremely blessed and thankful to be in the position that I’m in. I really made it. With all of that being said, I’ve taken the time to really digest all that has happened this year and I can finally give you all a rundown of everything.
If you would’ve asked me what I was majoring in at the beginning of the year I would’ve told you politics. And if you would’ve asked me what I wanted to do after undergrad, I would’ve told you that I planned on going to law school and becoming a defense attorney. Ask me that now, and I’ll tell you that I’m majoring in Africana studies and journalism. And as for my plans afterwards, who knows. I can see law school in the future, but I can also see myself working for Complex or The Fader. I wasn’t enjoying my law classes as much I was enjoying my writing classes and my classes that dealt with black life, so I decided to make that change. That was honestly one of the biggest decisions I made this year because it was my first step in living for myself, and starting to do things that genuinely make me happy.
As I started figuring out how to live for myself, I started to find myself. When I got into NYU, I received the MLK scholarship. This is basically a scholarship for future activists and people who work hard to better their communities like MLK did. I struggled for a really long time to understand why I was chosen. I never thought of myself as an activist. I believed in speaking against bigotry, but I just figured that was normal for most people. It wasn’t until after we went to Ghana that I realized why I was chosen. When we were in the village one of the elders made a comment to me about how the kids naturally gravitated towards me, and how my interactions with them showed that I had big heart. I soon discovered that activism doesn’t just look one way. There are different forms of activism, and spreading love and forming genuine connections with others is a form of activism. While I do go to protests, I realized that you don’t have to be at the forefront of protests to be an activist. I care about people, and as a result of that, I will always have their best interests at heart. That’s my form activism, spreading my love to others and doing my best to ensure that they have the best life possible. This was one of my biggest accomplishments this year, finally finding out what kind of activist I am.
This reminds me of the work that I did at an elementary school in Brooklyn. For about 5 months I worked in a fourth grade classroom. Twice a week, I assisted their teacher with explaining mathematics to the class and giving individual students reading lessons. To my surprise a lot of the kids were struggling. Some of them didn’t know their times tables at all and some of them were at a lower reading level than they should’ve been at. However, I did my best to help them and come up with ways to help them understand the material. It was very hard to see this because as months passed, I genuinely became attached to these kids. We had lunch together, I played with them at recess, and I gossiped with them as they told me their fourth grade drama. I absolutely loved working there with my fourth grade babies. They changed my life. They restored my faith in pure humanity at a time when I was feeling like all hope was lost for America. They accepted me into their classroom as one of their own, and that’s all I could ever ask for. I did my best to teach them because public school kids deserve quality education. Those babies deserve to learn as much as the kids in private school, and I think our government forgot that. Everyday I walked into that classroom, I was fighting for their right to learn. I will never stop fighting that fight for them. Honestly, saying goodbye to my kids was one of the hardest goodbyes that I ever had to say. I cried as I walked out of their classroom for the final time.
I know that this reflection is long, but I just want to leave you with three very important things I learned at NYU this year:
- “Ya skinfolk ain’t always ya kinfolk.” Coons are everywhere; they are armed and dangerous. Be aware, but remember that no one’s perception of their blackness should dictate your own. Love yourself. This goes for people of all races.
- Be passionate. Never do things you don’t care about because at the end of the day, you’re the one who has to be content with your own life.
- Take risks and live life to the fullest. It’s not enough to be alive. You gotta LIVE sis.
Overall, I’d give this year a 10 out of 10. I spent a lot of time in the first few months wondering if I picked the right school, and now I can say I feel 100% confident in my decision. I’ve learned so many valuable lessons, and I’ve met so many beautiful people. I really am grateful to have spent my first year in college in such an amazing city. I wouldn’t have wanted my first year to go any other way. I just can’t believe it’s already over. Time really does fly when you’re having fun. Thanks for being my concrete jungle New York; I love you.
