One of my long term goals for the future is to create a non profit organization that helps women who are victims of domestic violence. My mother is a survivor of domestic violence, and she was trapped in an abusive relationship with her spouse. I witnessed her being abused and manipulated, and it hurt me to see her in pain. Fortunately my mother was able to escape from her abusive partner with the help of her family, but not every woman has that option. I believe that women and girls need to be taught about red flags, self esteem, self love, self worth, safe sex, and learn the differences between toxic and healthy relationships at school so that they can make smart decisions before entering a relationship. My non profit organization would be built in low income neighborhoods in New York City like The Bronx. It will also provide resources, housing, and programs available to victims of domestic violence. My aspirations in life inspire me to stay consistent, and to create a better and safer world for women and girls for generations to come.

I love being a documentary filmmaker because I have the freedom to tell any story that I want. I love exploring my creative side and learning important skills like editing, storytelling, and researching. During my journey as a Documentary Filmmaker, I have seen how powerful films can be. They can provide a voice to the voiceless, open people’s eyes to injustice, and educate them on how to create and implement positive solutions in their communities. Films create another world, a better world that we envision and hope to be the reality. My plan is to further my knowledge of the craft of filmmaking at Reel works Dock Lab, where I am currently working on a brand new documentary about women from underrepresented communities healing from trauma. I am learning how to set up audios, and how to set up the lighting so that I can shoot my own interviews. Telling our stories is crucial to understanding how we think, how we view ourselves, and how we can change for the better.

My story motivates me to keep going no matter what obstacles come my way. Experiencing the struggles that come with being an immigrant family in America has made me more hungry for success. My parents did not go to school and faced many adversities with their lives like poverty, homelessness, and relying on the government for food stamps. I know that I want to want to be self-sufficient and independent. Coming from a low-income family with no college graduates has made me more aware of the life that I want to live. A life that is more simple and not filled with financial issues, and trauma. A life where I challenge myself to pursue higher education and be a role model to my younger siblings. I know that I have the power and responsibility to change my family's circumstances, and end our cycle of poverty and generational trauma. With the power of knowledge, consistency, discipline, and resilience nothing is impossible.

Being there for my friends and family when they need me the most is very important to me. Life sucks sometimes and we all have bad days. I am here to make those bad days go away and be a supportive friend/sister/daughter. I try my best to empathize with my friends when they are going through a hard time at home with their families. I try to give them advice on life, and what they can do to help the situation. It is not always easy for me to do that, especially on days when I’m not feeling my best. But if someone needs my help I have to be strong for them and put my feelings to the side. I care a lot about my friends and family and I would do anything for them. We all deserve that one friend or family member who makes life worth living.

Joy to me is spending time with my family. There is nothing better than being surrounded by loved ones who love and care for you. I am happiest when I am around my siblings and my mom. We have been through ups and downs together, and I wouldn’t want to experience this life with anybody else. If I am feeling blue, my sisters would make me laugh and make me forget about my sadness. Even though they drive me crazy sometimes, I don’t know who I would be without them. Everyone deserves a supportive and loving family like the one that I have, The one who will confront your school bully and stick up for you when you are too scared to defend yourself. The one who will make you delicious pancakes eggs and sausage for breakfast. The one who will never leave your side when life gets tough. Those are the ones worth fighting for.

Creating my documentary "We Will Not Be Tamed'' has been a way for me to communicate to my West African community. To show them how women are suffering because of our traditional practice called female genital mutilation. FGM is the practice of removing or cutting parts of the female genitalia. In many cultures, it is often viewed as a passage into womanhood and marriage. There are no health benefits of FGM, but health problems like infections, incontinence, problems peeing, bleeding, birth complications, and even death. Little girls are in danger of being subjugated to female genital mutilation at the age of six. Women in my community are unhappy and unsatisfied because they are overwhelmed with cultural norms, which are dangerously unhealthy. It is normalized to be a submissive and obedient lady in the Gambian culture and many other cultures around the world. I am an advocate for the voiceless and the ones who are oppressed, and I use film to shed light on taboo topics like domestic violence, sexual assault, and female genital mutilation. Being a survivor of female genital mutilation taught me that being silent about these issues won’t bring change. I truly believe that the world would be a safer place for women when we eliminate toxic and harmful practices like female genital mutilation. The first step that we need to take to end FGM is by educating women and young girls about their bodies, sexuality, sex education, feminine hygiene, reproductive system, protective sex, human rights, women’s rights, women’s rights in Islam, women’s rights in marriage, self-image, self-love, wellbeing, differentiating healthy relationships from toxic relationships, and red flags. We need a class or a training session teaching underprivileged girls in undeveloped countries about their wellbeing and healthy relationships. Teaching girls about their bodies and their health is crucial to understanding how their body works and why every part of their body is very important and why it is detrimental to their health to be undergoing the procedure of female genital mutilation. Girls from third-world countries like Somalia, Bangladesh, Eritrea, India, don’t have the funds and the resources to be properly educated about their well-being, health, and basic knowledge. I believe that providing them with the tools and resources to be educated about their well-being can help them thrive in their communities and break generational trauma.

People assume that if you look good physically then you must be feeling good mentally, but looks can be deceiving. Everything is not always what it seems, and people are good at hiding their pain. We live in a world where people are ashamed to admit that they need help with their mental health due to societal judgment, therefore they suffer alone because they feel like no one could possibly understand them, or what they are going through. But it doesn't always have to be that way. One thing that someone who is struggling with mental health can do is to speak positively to and about themselves. Practicing your daily self-love affirmations is very important because what we say about ourselves ultimately becomes our reality. If you constantly tell yourself that you are ugly and worthless then that's what you're going to believe, but if you tell yourself that you are worthy of peace, and happiness then that's what you're going to be gravitating your energy towards, therefore be happier. Never underestimate the power of words and how they can transform your life. Speaking positively about yourself can be a reassurance to yourself that what you are going through is temporary and you have your future to look forward to. The world is already so cruel and judgmental to us so we don't deserve to be nasty to ourselves. We would never treat or speak to others when they make a mistake the way we do ourselves. Nobody's perfect and we are all trying our best to take care of our mind, body, and soul, and we deserve love and peace as much as anyone else. So we should treat ourselves the way we do others when weŕe comforting them because we deserve to be comforted too.

I remember my mother breastfeeding my baby sister for the last time. She was very emotional because she didn’t want to leave her baby behind. Receiving the opportunity to come to America in hopes of finding a better life meant that she had to sacrifice her role as a mother to a newborn. She could only take two of us, me and my little sister Aicha, she left six more behind in The Gambia and hasn’t seen them ever since. Eleven years fast forward today, my mom is working two jobs, gave birth to four more precious girls Mariama, Sarjo, Isatou, Kaddija, and is doing her best to take care of us, and our siblings in the Gambia. Being the daughter of an immigrant mother, I have been through a lot of trials and tribulations. I come from a low-income household and it’s heartbreaking to see your single mother struggle to feed her children and pay the rent, but these struggles only made me more resilient. Experiencing these challenges also made me very self-aware of my abilities to change so that I don't repeat the cycle of poverty and struggle. It has made me stop feeling like a victim and take control of my life and my actions. I came to realize the power of a growth mindset and self-development. I started watching videos on youtube about financial independence and reading books on self-development. I also started exercising more and taking control of my diet and my health. The realization hit me that my family repeated the cycle of poverty because that's all that they know, and they have been stuck in that poor mindset and victimization. I discovered the power of self-discipline and self-accountability and stopped blaming my parents for the life that we were living and looked deeper into what I can do to make a difference. The life that I want to live is one that is more simple and not filled with financial issues and trauma. A life where I challenge myself to pursue higher education and be a role model to my younger siblings. I know that I have the power to change my family's circumstances, and create a better fulfilling life. I am going to be the one who ends the generational traumas and curses in my family, and in my community. With the power of knowledge, money, and good intentions to go with it, nothing is impossible.

Learning how to read and write are basic human rights, but for some, it is a privilege. Going to school in The Gambia, West Africa, and The Bronx has shown me that some people in America take free education for granted. In the Gambia, if you missed the deadline to pay your school fees, you couldn't attend the school anymore. If you came from a poor family in the Gambia, the highest education you can achieve is high school, and some families can't even afford that. Therefore I am very fortunate enough to have the opportunity to get a free public education. Adapting to a new world with new cultural ideas, beliefs, unique fashion, advanced technology, and infrastructure, was an interesting journey for me. But I quickly made the adjustments to fit in where I must. Experiencing and learning about other people's cultures, ideas, and beliefs have made me more open-minded to diversity and acceptance. In school, I learned about important issues that the world is facing today like racism, capitalism, police brutality, white privilege, discrimination, climate change, and fast fashion. Learning about all of these problems has made me see the world differently. It made me feel empathetic of other people's struggles and curious about creating solutions to these problems. Additionally knowing that these issues exist emotionally drains me, and overwhelms me. It makes me feel irritated to know that these issues occur because it is a never-ending cycle of the rich taking advantage of the poor, and money and power being more important than human lives. I feel that we will always live with these issues because there is always going to be the rich and wealthy getting away with crimes because they can afford to, while the poor are always going to be exploited and forgotten. Unless someone like me or you do something about it, our world won't change, Experiencing the struggles that come with being an immigrant family in America has made me realize how important education is. My parents did not go to school and faced many adversities with their lives like poverty, homelessness, and relying on the government for food stamps. Coming from a low-income family with no college graduates has made me more aware of the life that I want to live. A life that is more simple and not filled with financial issues, and trauma. A life where I challenge myself to pursue higher education and be a role model to my younger siblings. I know that I have the power and responsibility to change my family's circumstances, and end our cycle of poverty. With the power of knowledge, nothing is impossible.

I am a documentary filmmaker, fashion stylist, poet, content creator, women’s rights activist, and most importantly a Muslim woman. I was born in the Gambia, West Africa, but I grew up in the South Bronx, and The Lower East Side. I am Jibeh Fatty. Coming to New York City has given me the opportunity to be able to join different extracurricular activities, and explore different hobbies. I found my passion for documentary filmmaking at my after-school program called Urban Explorers City Lore. I learned valuable skills like editing, interviewing, writing scripts, and creating a panel. What I love most about being a documentary filmmaker is the freedom to tell any story that I want. I enjoy incorporating my creative side to editing the films my way and adding my own unique style. During my journey as a Documentary Filmmaker, I have seen how powerful films can be. They can provide a voice to the voiceless, open people’s eyes to injustice, and educate them on how to create and implement positive solutions to issues in our communities. Films can show you different perspectives, and allow you to feel empathy and walk-in other people's shoes. Films have taught me that there are two sides to every story, but only one truth. Films can create another world, a better world that we envision and hope to be the reality. I enjoy seeing people's reactions when they watch my documentary. I love having conversations with people about taboo topics that women from my country are too scared to talk about. I know that I am making a difference in the world by sharing stories from underrepresented communities. I encourage people to try new things because you never know what you are good at until you try it,

Being an honorable woman in society means that you have to be ignorant and submissive. I was subconsciously taught to submit myself to the cycle of generational abuse and torture, that women face daily in our Gambian culture. I always wondered why. Why did women stay in abusive marriages, and toxic relationships? Why did they practice female genital mutilation? Why did they try so hard to be perfect and obedient? I learned that it is because they are indoctrinated from a young age to believe that in order to be a “good girl” in society, you have to please men and make them feel comfortable. You have to obey your husband even when he is wrong, and you have to stay silent about problems in your marriage because you do not want to bring shame to your family. I refuse to follow these destructive rules, as I learn about my own wants and needs, opinions, dreams, passions, and most importantly, my rights. I learned that just because something is widely practiced and normalized does not mean that it is right. Creating my film "We Will Not Be Tamed'' has been a way for me to communicate to my West African community. To show them how women are suffering because of our traditional practices and teachings like female genital mutilation. Many women are miserable in their marriages, and they stay because they are forced to. Women in my community are unhappy and unsatisfied because they are overwhelmed with the cultural norms that are dangerously unhealthy. I am an advocate for the voiceless and the ones who are oppressed, and I use film to shed light on taboo topics like domestic violence, sexual assault, and female genital mutilation. Being a survivor of female genital mutilation taught me that being silent about these issues won’t bring change. During my journey as a Documentary Filmmaker, I have seen how film provides a voice to the voiceless. It can open people’s eyes to injustice and educate them on how to create and implement positive solutions in their communities. Films create another world, a better world that we envision and hope to be the reality. My plan is to further my knowledge of the craft of filmmaking and continue to tell stories from underrepresented minorities. Telling our stories is crucial to understanding how we think, how we view ourselves, and how we can change for the better. Films show you different perspectives, and it allows you to feel empathy and walk-in other people's shoes. Films taught me that there are two sides to every story, but only one truth. We live in a world that is not safe for women to be who they aspire to be. I dream to live in a world where women are no longer fearful of being assaulted by men. I dream to live in a world where men are sympathetic to women's issues because they are part of the problem. That world can be created in my documentaries and brought to reality by changemakers who are committed to creating a safer world for women and girls for generations to come.

I remember my mother breastfeeding my baby sister for the last time. She was very emotional because she didn’t want to leave her baby behind. Receiving the opportunity to come to America in hopes of finding a better life meant that she had to sacrifice her role as a mother to a newborn. She could only take two of us, me and my little sister Aicha, she had to leave six more behind in The Gambia and hasn’t seen them ever since. Eleven years fast forward today, my mom is working two jobs, gave birth to four more precious girls Mariama, Sarjo, Isatou, and Kaddy, and is doing her best to take care of us, and our siblings in the Gambia. Being the daughter of an immigrant mother, I have been through a lot of trials and tribulations. I come from a low-income household and it’s heartbreaking to see your single mom struggle to feed her children and pay the rent. She inspires me to keep going no matter what calamity comes my way. I watched her be brave, independent, and resilient when she needed to be, and that is what motivated me to be the first in my family to go to college. I am going to be the one who ends the generational traumas and curses in my family, and in my community. I am going to be a leader, and a role model to many little girls who come from outside of America to achieve a better lifestyle. I want to represent many minorities and show them that our parents struggle so we won’t have to. Pursuing higher education will help me improve our lives and our community’s lives. I realize that as a minority, we don’t have the equal privilege to succeed in America. We have to work ten times harder to prove ourselves worthy of the American dream. We are constantly misrepresented and stereotyped by the media and we aren’t given a fair shot at life. Going to college will set an example for my younger siblings to follow in my footsteps to pursue higher education, and accomplish their own aspirations. I believe that nothing is impossible when you are educated, and committed to making your dreams a reality.

I am a documentary filmmaker, fashion stylist, poet, women’s rights activist, and most importantly a Muslim woman. I was born in the Gambia, West Africa, but I grew up in the South Bronx, and The Lower East Side. I am a senior at New Design High school, and I plan to further my education in film studies and journalism. I am jibeh Fatty. During my journey as a Documentary Filmmaker, I have seen how film provides a voice to the voiceless. Films can open people’s eyes to injustice and educate them on how to create and implement positive solutions in their communities. Films create another world, a better world that we envision and hope to be the reality. Furthering my knowledge of the craft of filmmaking will help me continue to tell stories from underrepresented minorities. Telling our stories is crucial to understanding how we think, how we view ourselves, and how we can change our lives for the better. Films show you different perspectives, and they allow you to feel empathy, to walk-in otherś shoes. Films have taught me that there are two sides to a story, but only one truth. Being the daughter of an immigrant mother, I have been through a lot of trials and tribulations. I come from a low-income household with six people, and itś heartbreaking to see your single mom struggle to feed her children and pay the rent. She inspires me to keep going no matter what calamity comes my way. I watched her be brave, independent, and resilient when she needed to be, and that is what motivated me to be the first in my family to go to college. I am going to be the one who ends the generational traumas and curses in my family, and in my community. Pursuing higher education will help me improve our lives and our community’s lives. I realize that as a minority, we don’t have the equal privilege to succeed in America. We have to work ten times harder to prove ourselves worthy of the American dream. We are constantly misrepresented and stereotyped by the media and we aren’t given a fair shot at life. Going to college will set an example for my younger siblings to follow in my footsteps to pursue higher education, and accomplish their own aspirations.

I am a documentary filmmaker, fashion stylist, content creator, women’s rights activist, poet, and most importantly a Muslim woman. I was born in the Gambia, West Africa, but I grew up in the South Bronx, and The Lower East Side. I am a senior at New Design High school, and I plan to further my education in film studies and journalism. I am Jibeh Fatty. Creating my film "We Will Not Be Tamed'' has been a way for me to communicate to my West African community. To show them how women are suffering because of our traditional practices and teachings like female genital mutilation. Many women are miserable in their marriages, and they stay because they are forced to. Women in my community are unhappy and unsatisfied because they are overwhelmed with the cultural norms that are dangerously unhealthy. I am an advocate for the voiceless and the ones who are oppressed. I use film to shed light on taboo topics like domestic violence, sexual assault, and female genital mutilation. Being a survivor of female genital mutilation taught me that being silent about these issues won’t bring change. During my journey as a Documentary Filmmaker, I have seen how film provides a voice to the voiceless. It can open people’s eyes to injustice and educate them on how to create and implement positive solutions in their communities. Films create another world, a better world that we envision and hope to be the reality. My plan is to further my knowledge of the craft of filmmaking and continue to tell stories from underrepresented minorities. Telling our stories is crucial to understanding how we think, how we view ourselves, and how we can change for the better. Films show you different perspectives, and it allows you to feel empathy and walk-in other people's shoes. Films taught me that there are two sides to every story, but only one truth. We live in a world that is not safe for women to be who they aspire to be. I dream to live in a world where women are no longer fearful of being assaulted by men. I dream to live in a world where men are sympathetic to women's issues because they are part of the problem. That world can be created in my documentaries and brought to reality by changemakers who don’t give up on our dreams.

I am a documentary filmmaker, fashion stylist, poet, women’s rights activist, and most importantly a Muslim woman. I was born in the Gambia, West Africa, but I grew up in the South Bronx, and The Lower East Side. I am a senior at New Design High school, and I plan to further my education in film studies and journalism. I am jibeh Fatty. During my journey as a Documentary Filmmaker, I have seen how film provides a voice to the voiceless. Films can open people’s eyes to injustice and educate them on how to create and implement positive solutions in their communities. Films create another world, a better world that we envision and hope to be the reality. Furthering my knowledge of the craft of filmmaking will help me continue to tell stories from underrepresented minorities. Telling our stories is crucial to understanding how we think, how we view ourselves, and how we can change our lives for the better. Films show you different perspectives, and they allow you to feel empathy, to walk-in otherś shoes. Being a filmmaker has taught me that there are two sides to a story, but only one truth. Being the daughter of an immigrant mother, I have been through a lot of trials and tribulations. I come from a low-income household with six people, and itś heartbreaking to see your single mom struggle to feed her children and pay the rent. She inspires me to keep going no matter what calamity comes my way. I watched her be brave, independent, and resilient when she needed to be, and that is what motivated me to be the first in my family to go to college. I am going to be the one who ends the generational traumas and curses in my family, and in my community. Pursuing higher education will help me improve our lives and our community’s lives. I realize that as a minority, we don’t have the equal privilege to succeed in America. We have to work ten times harder to prove ourselves worthy of the American dream. We are constantly misrepresented and stereotyped by the media and we aren’t given a fair shot at life. Going to college will set an example for my younger siblings to follow in my footsteps to pursue higher education, and accomplish their own aspirations.