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I was born in Denver, lived in Portugal, Kentucky, Ohio and Washington. I started college at the University of Pittsburgh, but decided that engineering wasn’t for me. I chose to enroll at UNC because of the Africana Studies program and the McNair Scholars program. I knew that it was going to be a challenge. It’s kicking my butt and I love it! I love the friendships I’ve developed with the people in my cohort and I love the advisors and research directors in the McNair program, because they really push you to be your very best.

All of my professors in the Africana Studies department have really gone above and beyond to help me, especially Dr. George Junne and Dr. Anita Fleming-Rife. I presented my research on Colorism, looking at African-American lawyers and faculty members, at the National Association of Ethnic Studies Conference in San Diego recently. Dr. Fleming-Rife flew to San Diego just to see me present, which was awesome. My paper won the undergraduate award at the conference and it was really exciting. As an undergraduate, that kind of opportunity is really rare.

I love being involved all over campus. I work with the Summit Organizing Committee, Black Women of Today, the Diversity Counsel and the Center for Peer Education. I also registered voters for the presidential election last fall with the Colorado Progressive Coalition. I’ve made a lot of friends and grown up a lot at UNC. I believe that I was supposed to be here and that it has made me a better person.

I’m really a nerd. When I’m not studying, I like to read, write poetry and go to poetry slams, I think they’re phenomenal. I like to hang out with my friends. We’re always debating something or just being silly, going to the movies or dancing around the room. I love the library because they have Seattle’s Best Coffee and I’m pretty much addicted to caramel macchiatos.

I’ll be studying abroad this summer at Bogaczi University in Istanbul, Turkey. Dr. Junne is an adjunct professor there, so he’ll help me get acclimated and get to know the city. I’m really, really excited!