Entering higher education as a first-generation college student feels like walking into a dark room filled with people but with no light to help navigate. It can be overwhelming, confusing, and at times, lonely. While this may sound bleak, it reflects my genuine experience. I don’t come from a legacy of college graduates or a family that always knew the ins and outs of this journey. I come from resilience, from heart, and from a desire to build a future brighter than anything I’ve ever seen. I chose to pursue my education at Alabama A&M University not just because it offered opportunity, but because it felt like home. Though I spent much of my life in San Diego, California, I moved to Birmingham, Alabama to be closer to my mother. That shift, both physical and emotional, reshaped my entire perspective on life. Being in what society calls a “low-income” area—what I call the real world—showed me firsthand the barriers that can keep people stuck and the dreams that die quietly in silence. But it also fueled something deep inside me: a hunger not just for success, but for greatness. I don’t just want the stars. I want every galaxy—known and unknown. I want to take up space in places where people like me have often been told we don’t belong. As a young Black woman in the business field, I’m already fighting stereotypes. I know what it’s like to be underestimated in rooms full of suits and expectations. I’ve seen how women, especially women of color, are dismissed, overlooked, and told to wait their turn. But I don’t want to wait anymore. I want to break the mold. I remember speakers at my school sharing their incredible stories. Most were men who had triumphed over challenges to become leaders, and their journeys inspired me. Yet, I seldom saw women like me represented on that stage. I aspire to be that beacon for the next generation. I want to enter rooms not just to occupy space, but to create opportunities for others. I aim to be the business leader who reshapes society's view of African Americans. I aspire to be the CEO who builds from the ground up, remembers her roots, and transforms her past into a powerful legacy. This degree is more than a personal milestone. It’s a promise to my family, to my community, and to every young girl who thinks her dreams are too big. I’m here to prove that nothing is too far out of reach—not even the galaxies.