In the future, I want to work in education and make a real difference in the lives of kids. I truly believe God put me on this earth to serve, and working with children is one of the best ways I can do that. I want to be the kind of educator who uplifts, encourages, and inspires students, especially the ones who might not always feel seen or heard. Helping kids believe in themselves and realize their potential is something so meaningful and I am very passionate about that. Being Black is something I’m proud of. It’s not always easy, but it’s powerful. It means I come from strength, from creativity, from people who’ve made something out of nothing for generations. It means understanding the struggle but still showing up with confidence and pride. There’s so much beauty in our culture, our history, our energy, and I love being part of that. It’s shaped who I am and how I move through the world. That’s exactly why I chose to go to Prairie View A&M University (PV, you know!). I wanted to be around people who look like me, understand me, and push me to grow. The sense of community and culture at PV is unmatched. It’s more than just a school, it feels like home. Being here has helped me stay connected to who I am while also growing into who I want to be. And that’s something I’ll carry with me wherever my career and life take me.

Golf has taught me that the greatest competition is not against others, but against myself. That mindset has shaped my journey as a young Black female golfer navigating the highly competitive world of college golf. Being a Black woman in a predominantly white and male sport often makes me feel like I stand out, sometimes uncomfortably so. On the range or at tournaments, I’m often the only female golfer, and even more often, the only Black female golfer. This brings a mix of daunting pressure and isolation, but it also fuels my determination to succeed. In college golf, where every stroke counts and the level of competition is intense, I’ve learned to channel those feelings into focus and confidence. Playing at Prairie View A&M, competing against some of the best players pushes me to constantly improve, both mentally and physically. Playing at Prairie View A&M, an HBCU, has been a powerful source of strength for me. Being surrounded by peers, coaches, and mentors who share my cultural background creates a sense of belonging and support that fuels my confidence. It reminds me that I’m not alone in this journey and helps me embrace my identity fully, both as a golfer and as a Black woman. That’s exactly why I chose to compete at an HBCU, to grow in an environment where I feel seen, understood, and empowered daily. Golf challenges my mind unlike any other sport. It’s a game of patience, strategy, and mental toughness. It’s just me, the ball, and the course, requiring immense focus and calm under pressure. I love that golf demands both discipline and creativity. To me it’s like a puzzle where every shot requires thought and precision. In the solitude of the game, I find clarity and resilience, learning to trust my skills and my instincts. What I appreciate most is the independence golf offers. Unlike team sports I’ve done in the past like volleyball and cheer, my success depends solely on my decisions and execution. This responsibility has strengthened my self-trust and accountability. Being able to rely on myself, especially in the competitive environment of college golf, has built my confidence and shaped my character. Despite the challenges I face as a young Black female golfer, I carry my identity with pride knowing I represent a community too often overlooked in this sport. Every time I step onto the course, I’m not just playing golf, I’m breaking barriers and rewriting what it means to belong. I hope my journey lights a path for younger generations who may feel like they don’t fit, reminding them that golf, and any dream is possible no matter where you come from. For me, golf is more than a game, it’s a test of my spirit. It challenges me to dig deep, stay present, and find peace in every swing…even in the midst of chaos. Through every round, every competition, and every practice, I continue to grow on and off the course ready to face whatever challenges come my way.

Contemplating life. Tears falling on my lap, thinking about the 20 assignments and deadlines that are due tomorrow. Tears falling on my lap, thinking about the hours of golf practice I have after school. Thinking if I will even have the energy to complete these assignments. On time at that. The fear of my grades dropping absorbed my brain. Trying to juggle academics, athletics, friends, and family is a full time job I would say. Being a high school student alone already takes a lot. But adding your personal life to that, becomes quite overwhelming. Unfortunately when it gets to that point, my mental health begins to take a huge decline. I start to stress over every little thing and anxiety strikes at an all time high. Due to me being so overwhelmed, I start catastrophizing. I think of the worst possible outcome that can happen to my grades in each class. I begin to worry about assignments getting submitted late and my teachers not accepting the late work. For a student like me who typically stays on top of their grades and gets all A's, this is a nightmare. Once my grades started declining and the missing assignments started to pile up, it became really hard to get back on top of it. Especially when I have let it get so far. Sitting in class starts to become ten times worse than before, and concentrating on the lesson seems almost impossible. As this worsens, depression starts to play a factor. As for myself I have noticed it is more of a seasonal depression. This depression comes at the point when I feel like everything around me is falling apart. Losing motivation to simply wake up for school. I feel as if I have nothing left to give and everything seems pointless. The depression soon makes its way into my personal life. I then distance myself from the strong family relationships and friendships I have. I kept trying to hide that I was in distress and overwhelmed with everything going on. This was most definitely the wrong way to go about it. The more I tried to hide it, the more it hurt me and others around me. Being depressed made it really hard to connect with others and keep up my own life. But I soon had to realize that this was not getting me anywhere. I could not stay in this dark hole of depression. In order to come out of this and stay out of it, I needed to take things one by one. By this I mean setting goals for myself each day and sticking to them. Doing this truly keeps me grounded. If I ever feel myself falling back to that place of becoming too overwhelmed, I just look back at my goals to push me forward. They provide me with motivation and help me to stay focused. Having these goals set me up for success in the classroom and out. Once I made setting goals a priority, my mental health increased significantly all around.