Growing up in different apartment complexes in Yonkers, New York has taught me many lessons. I realized just how important policy impacts my day-to-day life. Will the local bodega closest to me be turned into an overpriced cafe? Will my family and I be forced to move out due to the rising rent costs? Much anxiety and stress surround me daily due to policies made by people who don't represent me. My parents took a leap and flight of faith from a beautiful country called, Gambia. A place where smiles are endless and culture thrives. In hopes of economic and financial stability, my parents came to the United States. Policies created under the guise of racism and Islamophobia will make it hard for them to work, but they still do so in hopes of achieving more. While they were out at work, I was home with my three little brothers, carrying the responsibility of being the "adult" though I was just a little girl. I had to grow up from a young age to make sure that my brothers were fed and clothed. I had to be an additional caretaker as the oldest and only daughter. Growing up in the United States as a Black person, you come to the understanding that people could weaponize your Blackness and react violently according to how they feel. I was constantly reminded of this reality through the images of police brutality on the news. The way I was treated in white neighborhoods and spaces. Fast-forwarding to 8th grade when I started to fall in love with the best thing that ever happened to me; basketball. I played so hard and hustled my heart out. When tryouts came along I felt confident I was going to make the team, just to be shot down. I had to wonder if the rejection came as a response to my Hijab. Basketball means everything to me; it's almost like physical poetry. When my body became too numb to play, my mind released through rhymes and rhythms. I was and still am able to express every ounce of pain and emotion through poetry. I think back to my people in Gambia, to my ancestors who were abused and dehumanized and I realize all these stories I hold need to have a narrator. With a career in public policy, I can do just that. Our government officials, politicians, and representatives all have an obligation to let these stories be heard. With my career, whatever it may be, I want to change the "norms" that continue to harm people. Living in Yonkers, and attending a public school with rampant racism and sexism has shown me the necessity of strong, fair policies. I strive for my goals by continuing to play basketball and writing poetry. On the basketball court and in my writing, I can exist as freely as I want. My feelings are valid, my passion is valid; I want to advocate this feeling for everyone who’s denied it.