Then it happened! A feeling of Fear came over me. Oh boy, I thought! I can’t go to college, people in my neighborhood and family don’t go to college, we go to work! I was afraid. I then tried to rationalize how I could become a speaker by just taking one class. So, I signed up for “Toastmasters”. My first assignment after paying the fee and completing paperwork was to speak in front of the members in a competition. I was nervous, however decided that I would tell my story of growing up in the hood because it was my story, and I knew the story well.

On the Tuesday after signing up I was in my first “Toastmasters” competition competing against 4 other members who all held positions on their board. I was the last person to go up in front of the group and speak. As I began to tell my story I was nervous, it reminded me of the times as a child when I would stand on the stage at church in front of the congregation and a microphone to welcome the visitors. Nevertheless, I began to feel more and more comfortable as I told the story and then I finished. I looked around and everyone in the room was looking at me while appearing to be engaged, then all of a sudden, they began to clap louder and longer than they had clapped for anyone else in the competition. I won the first-place trophy! On that day it was confirmed for me, I was born to reach others by using MY POWER because I was enough! I became dedicated to do whatever it took to become the best at motivating others. I signed up for school.

Now, again In Survival mode I figured out that I had to pull all the strength that I had to face my fears. I began to look up colleges that had psychology programs that were close to me. The first hurdle was getting admitted to a college after being out of school for 10 years. As I began to look I found a school that was near the salon that I owned and near my baby’s nursery school. I applied to a program that the university had for adult applicants and I got accepted!!! I was so happy because I could see that things were working in my favor, but the next five years was a struggle. I almost lost myself, I gained 60 pounds because at that time I did not have the coping skills to process the added stress. It was an unhealthy defense mechanism to ignore my emotions with the distraction of food, but I’m grateful because I believe it helped me keep my sanity at the time. For those five years I strategized taking care of my baby, my husband, my home, my business and now my education, but I did not lose my mind!  I graduated with a dual degree in Psychology/Psychiatric Rehabilitation from Kean University and University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, with honors and top of my class. The same girl who was told in the fourth grade that she was "not as smart as" the other class. At that point, I understood how the brain worked and what stimuli it needs to get motivated and stay motivated.