Everyone is a loser. Everyone has been a loser before. It is okay and a right of passage. You have to lose, and you have to lose devastatingly at least once in your life. Even winners in life will lose. The greatest NBA players go to the championship game-- and lose. They are losers, but they are also extremely good at their job. Only 1.2% of college athletes will get into the NBA. Of that 1.2%, many will not become starters. I cannot even imagine how many of them go on to become championship winners, but I know it is not a lot. Losing is not everything, but it is something. It is an opportunity to learn from your failure. It is an opportunity to look outside yourself and observe others. Often, we are so caught up in ourselves that we cannot fathom how someone could outdo us. Losing allows us the opportunity to take a step back and regroup. Someone may wonder why I would blatantly "insult" myself and others by calling everyone losers. The truth is that I know I will go further by accepting reality for what it is. Life is not always a fairytale and I will not always be the princess in the story. Sometimes, I am the wicked witch in someone else's fairytale. Or even worse, a background character with no lines. The story is not always about me. However, that does not mean I do not gain anything from being in it. I think losing is a catalyst for a comeback story. Nothing motivates a hero like having to prove yourself. Think about "Remember the Titans." The football team is being doubted by the entire state because it has been integrated. The players are doubting themselves and each other. They lacked trust and support. However, everything started to change with Denzel's speech in Gettysburg. Slowly but surely, the team began working together to prove that they are the best. It was not an overnight change but one that came from confrontation and rehabilitation. They needed a reality check to have a comeback. So while I understand that some people want to coddle losers, I don't. We grow by losing. Life is not always a fairytale. Sometimes, it is ugly, devastating, and downright unfair, but that is okay. Even people at the top of their field have lost and will continue to lose in life. People lose and it's okay.

My ultimate career goal is to become a Pediatric Occupational Therapist! I want to work one on one with children to improve their quality of life early on. I love the intersection between educating future generations and the study of the human body. I enjoy my major but I also enjoy my interactions with young people. Teaching in a classroom full of the same children is not an environment that I would thrive in. I think the ability to hone in on an individual's weaknesses and turn them into strengths is really unique. I love the idea of cultivating a healthy relationship with people who need services that I am passionate about providing. It is amazing to see how far people can progress with encouragement and consistency. I chose to go to an HBCU because I was tired of being the only Black face in a room. I did not want to look around and see that none of the faces matched mine. I did not want my race to factor into my academic capabilities, friendships, or the way that I presented myself. I specifically chose Howard because I knew the opportunities granted to me would be better. The network that Howard provides is second to none for a Black professional. Along with that, I loved the atmosphere that Howard provides. My favorite time of the week is when everyone comes to the Yard to relax and socialize. It's times like these that make me say, "I love my HBCU!"

"Long Shot" by Kennedy Ryan is not just a novel, but a powerful portrayal of the struggles that victims of abuse go through. It is about two people who are immensely attracted to each other but cannot be together due to commitments from before they met. The story turns dark once we realize that our Black female lead is in an increasingly abusive relationship with a man who has it all. He's a white, professional athlete that comes from generational wealth. He "accidentally" impregnates her, forcing her to leave her passions and dreams behind for his. Eventually, she realizes she is in an abusive situation where she lacks a support system to lean on. Her boyfriend uses this isolation to abuse her physically, emotionally, verbally, and sexually. However, our main character does not let this abuse define her, and instead uses her wits and will to live to help her escape a dangerous situation and rebuild the life that he stole from her. This story changed my perspective on the complexity and challenges of abusive relationships while highlighting the privilege that abusers often have. Oftentimes, we hear people saying that an abused person should just "leave" or "fight back," not realizing that there are so many factors that may affect their ability to do so. Our main character was in a city far from her estranged family, with a baby, no personal finances, or outside commitments to get her outside of the house. Her boyfriend was enabled by his family's wealth and resources to take advantage of her as he pleased. There was no rhyme or reason with him, which makes her situation even scarier. Our main character tried to leave once. However, that failed once her boyfriend used his privilege and resources through the legal system to make her seem like she was mentally unstable. It is scary to know that the legal system is not there to protect victims of violent crimes. She escaped her boyfriend by using her wits and his privilege against him in a way that would hurt what he valued most: his career. It is sad that the legal system did not free her from her abuser. After reading this book, I understand why it is so hard and scary to leave a difficult situation. In general, reading has helped me progress mentally because it allows me to immerse myself in the experiences of others. I love that I can go back in history and become a war general, freedom fighter, activist, or student. It is amazing that I am able to become someone else, feel how they feel, and think how they think. The more that I read, the more I understand my fellow humans that exist beyond the pages. As I navigate life, I am always striving to be more adventurous, understanding, and loving, which I think reading has allows me to be.